Don't Fear the Reaper
by demon19027
Summary: After his mission for the Soul Society Harry has learned painful truths. As a rift grows between himself and Dumbledore the Substitute Soul Reaper finds himself in the middle of a deadly tournament. Set in 4th year (Book 3 in the Reaper Series.)
1. Back to The Burrow

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Soul Reapers, spiritual guardians of the World of the Living. Their job is to maintain the balance between the myriad of good and evil souls that fill this world. A task that like his mother before him, Harry Potter has embraced as a Substitute Soul Reaper; a task that currently sees him battling a Hollow in the night sky, high above London.

The Hollow in question's appearance reminded Harry of a Hippogriff the only difference being its white skin, and characteristic mask, and Hollow hole located on the center of its body. Harry had been fighting Hollows for hours now. So unfortunately for the creature he was feeling rather impatient by that point.

As the Hollow charged the Substitute Soul Reaper, letting out a fearsome roar as it neared, Harry responded with a quick swing of his zanpakutō, releasing a wave of spirit energy finishing the beast in a single move.

Sheathing his sword, Harry was pleased to find that he couldn't pick up on any more Hollows prompting him to quickly return home. Upon his arrival he wasn't surprised to find Remus waiting for him in the living room.

"You know you don't have to wait up for me" said Harry.

"Well you don't have to leave your body lying around" Remus replied, pointing to the soulless form of the boy's human body, currently taking up space on the couch. "You could at least leave it in your room or have Mick look after it for you."

"Sorry" Harry smiled sheepishly, returning to his body. "I just don't like to use Mick if I don't have to." _Wonder what that says if I've actually gotten used to seeing my own lifeless body_.

"Yes, well at least try not to leave your body lying around. Neither Sirius or I like tripping over it." said the werewolf, thinking similar thoughts of the strange circumstances their lives now follow. "Anyway, why don't you try to get some sleep. They're expecting you at the Burrow tomorrow."

As Harry went to bed, he missed his godfather enter the living room after him, sharing a look of concern with Remus.

"So, did you ask him about it?" Sirius asked his old friend.

"No, I've given up by this point." Remus replied.

It's been months since Harry's battle with the Fullbringer Lorene and since then there's been an unprecedented rift between the boy and Dumbledore. But no matter how much Remus or Sirius asked, Harry refused to explain why. Though they suspected he'd told his friends neither of them wanted to go so far as to interrogate children, well more like Remus wouldn't let Sirius do it.

The next morning Harry came downstairs to find Remus and Hermione sitting at the kitchen table.

"Morning, Harry" Hermione greeted, smiling at her friend.

"Hey you're here early" said Harry, taking a seat at the table.

"My parents are going to a conference while we're at the Burrow. So Remus offered to have them drop me off."

"Plus it isn't that early" Remus smirked, pointing to the clock that read it was 2 in the afternoon.

"Guessing you had a late night" said Hermione, giggling at the shocked expression on Harry's face.

"Guess so" Harry said sheepishly, gladly accepting a plate of food from Remus. Turns out Harry wasn't the only one sleeping in as Sirius walked into the room doing a very good impression of a zombie.

"Morning pup" Sirius greeted sleepily, ruffling his godson's hair as he passed.

"Ok so, Harry was out late working. What's your excuse?" Remus questioned, smirking at his friend's behavior. Noticing the time, he then reminded Harry and Hermione that they were due to go to the Burrow. Unfortunately for Harry they were traveling by floo and of course he hadn't gotten any better since the summer before his second year, made evident as he had to pick himself up off the Burrow's kitchen floor.

"You must be Harry" a voice greeted, belonging to someone Harry recognized from a photo Ron had shown him, Bill Weasley. Looking around he noticed another redhead sitting at the table a slightly shorter, muscular man, that could only be Charlie Weasley.

Before giving further greetings, Bill quickly pulled Harry aside as the fireplace flared, accompanied by Hermione's arrival which much to Harry's annoyance was perfectly executed.

"Oh you're here" Mrs. Weasley smiled, entering the kitchen as if she somehow sensed their arrival. "Harry, Hermione why don't you two go on and take your things upstairs. Hermione you'll be rooming with Ginny and Harry you're with Ron.

Lugging their things upstairs Harry and Hermione reached the top just in time to catch Ron coming out of his room.

"Hey when did you guys get here?" Ron questioned, stepping aside to let Harry into his room while Hermione continued to Ginny's.

"Just got here" said Harry, dropping his bag by the camp bed. As he turned to leave Harry caught sight of a textbook on Ron's desk reminding him that he wasn't the only one changed by the Fullbringer event; Ron had used it as motivation to improve himself even if just a little.

With Harry's stuff now put away, the boys continued on to Ginny's room in search of the girls when a loud explosion rocked the house.

"What was that?!" Harry asked.

"The twins" said Ron, as his mother's voice started to ring from downstairs. He explained that Mrs. Weasley has been cleaning out the twins' room in search of the products for their new business venture Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. "They've been working on joke stuff. You know, fake wands and trick sweets, loads of stuff. It was brilliant, never thought they'd been inventing stuff."

"Yeah but mum went ballistic when they told her they were opening a joke shop" said Ginny, as she and Hermione joined the boys. "She was hoping they'd go to work at the ministry."

Walking back into the kitchen, they caught sight of Molly finishing reprimanding the twins over being more responsible with their experiments. Fred and George were quick to make a hasty retreat as their mother turned her attention to Harry and the others.

"Alright, Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables outside. Would you all please help set the tables" she asked, to which they quickly agreed.

They'd only gone a few paces when they heard a loud crashing noise coming from the other side of the house. The source was soon revealed to be Bill and Charlie, levitating two battered old tables high above the garden, bashing them into each other as Fred and George cheered from bellow. It was after a particularly loud bang that the last Weasley boy revealed himself, poking his head out of a window on the second floor.

"Will you keep it down!" Percy yelled.

"Sorry Perce" Bill grinned. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming?"

The recently graduated Percy had gone to work in the Ministry of Magic's Department of International Magical Cooperation. He was currently working on a report for them and if you were to ask his brothers, they'd tell you he was being very annoying about it.

"Very badly" he grumbled, slamming the window shut. Chuckling at their high-strung younger brother Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely to the ground, end to end, and before with a flick of his wand, Bill finished setting up with a conjured tablecloth.

That evening Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley clan were gathered around the tables enjoying Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking. It was certainly a welcomed break from Hollow hunting in London and Harry was basking in the peaceful atmosphere.

As the dinner progressed Harry heard Percy speaking with his father about his report, as well as the man who gave them their tickets to the Cup, Ludo Bagman, who worked for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He also mentioned a missing ministry employee, Bertha Jorkins and a top-secret event that was supposed to take place after the World Cup. Ron had revealed that his brother had been trying to tempt them into asking about the project much to their annoyance.

Eventually it came time for everyone to head to bed as Mrs. Weasley reminded them that they'd be getting up early to get to the Cup.

"Sirius and Remus still asking about you and Dumbledore?" asked Ron, as he and Harry finished getting ready for bed.

"No I think they've given up for now" Harry sighed.

"Mental what Dumbledore did."

Harry couldn't agree more, he had trusted the headmaster, looked up to him like a grandfather figure. But he couldn't ignore what he now knew about the old man; allowing Snape, a supporter of Voldemort and the one responsible for the Dark Lord targeting his family, to walk free and then be twisted enough to have him teach the very children of his victims.

"You sure you don't want to tell them?" Ron questioned.

"Sirius just got out of Azkaban. I don't want him going back even for killing Snape" said Harry. "Let's just get some sleep."

* * *

 _An old man was preparing a pot of tea, whistling a tune as he worked. He sighed in frustration when he noticed a light on in a nearby manor._

" _Bloody kids" the old man muttered angrily, grabbing an oil lamp from his counter as he passed._

 _He walked out of his home and marched towards the manor, his lamp lighting his path. The man didn't seem to notice the sinister chill in the air as he reached the old house. Finding the front door ajar, he searched the entryway but found no sign of life. He was about to turn and leave when he heard whispers from upstairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed one of the doors cracked open with light leaking into the dark hallway. Peering through the crack he found the peculiar scene of a rat like man kneeling before a cloaked figure sitting in a chair._

" _Thank you master! Thank you master!" said the rat man, kneeling at the figure's feet._

" _Silence, Wormtail!" the cloaked figure hissed. "I only freed you because you may yet prove useful."_

" _But Lord Voldemort" Pettigrew said timidly. "Can't you do it without the boy?"_

" _You dare question your Lord?!" Voldemort snapped._

" _N-no, my Lord. I swear" Peter Pettigrew trembled under the wraith of his Dark Lord._

" _Be thankful that you still have a purpose. Now it's time to deal with our guest."_

 _The old man's eyes widened in shock as he realized the cloaked figure, Voldemort knew he was there. He barely had time to react as a green light shot him in the chest, sending him falling to the ground dead._

* * *

Harry woke up in shock, drenched in a cold sweat.

"Are you alright Harry?" Nakatsukasa asked, alerting her Soul Reaper that he was in fact inside his inner world.

"Yeah just a bad dream" he replied, not wanting to consider the idea that Pettigrew could in fact have escaped from Azkaban. By this point Harry knew full well that trying to hide from his zanpakutō was impossible so he was grateful when Nakatsukasa decided to drop the topic and allow him to return to his slumber, staying on guard should she need to pull him out of another nightmare.

But as she watched over the sleeping Harry, Nakatsukasa couldn't shake a foreboding feeling that something sinister was waiting over the horizon.

* * *

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	2. The Quidditch World Cup

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

The following morning all thought of bad dreams left Harry's mind as he, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, the twins, followed Mr. Weasley as they hiked through the hills surrounding the Burrow.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" said Ginny, rubbing her eyes.

"We don't want to be late" said Mr. Weasley. "Don't worry it shouldn't be too much further."

"Where exactly are we going?" Harry asked Ron but his friend just shrugged, not having any idea himself.

"We're looking for the Portkey" said Mr. Weasley, having heard Harry's question.

"A Portkey is any randomly enchanted object that transports an individual or group to another specific location." Hermione explained, noticing Harry's confusion over the term.

"So we don't know what it looks like" Harry concluded. Meaning the plan was to keep their eyes open for anything unusual.

"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son! We've got it!" an unfamiliar voice called out.

They stopped searching to see an older looking man standing with a boy about the twins' age. As the group made their way to them, Harry noticed that the man was holding what looked like an old moldy boot.

"Amos" Mr. Weasley greeted. "Everyone this is Amos Diggory. He works for the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

"Hey" Cedric smiled.

As they waited for the Portkey to activate Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory began casual conversation. But Cedric's father was the kind that couldn't resist singing his son's praises and in a sort of roundabout way complimented him saying that Harry had to be an especially talented at flying if he was able to beat Cedric in the Quidditch final the previous year.

After making sure no one else was going to join them Mr. Weasley instructed everyone to touch the Portkey as it whisked them all away to the campground for the Cup.

* * *

After getting their campsite from the muggle grounds owner the party setup their tent that much to Harry's amazement had the inside enchanted to be a small apartment equipped with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom.

"Would you four go get some water?" Mr. Weasley asked Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

As they moved through the campgrounds in search of the well, Harry and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at some of the ridiculous attempts a lot wizards made to dress as muggles.

"Oh man that's just bad" Harry laughed, pointing to a man dressed in a gown with a lampshade on his head.

"I have no idea, where they get the idea that, that's considered normal" said Hermione.

"Well at least we didn't mess up" Ginny said to Ron, causing the siblings to grin at their success at dressing muggle.

"Oh trust me I've seen worse" said a familiar voice.

"Tonks!" they cheered, happy to see their Auror friend.

"Hey guys" Tonks smiled returning the greeting.

"What're you doing here?" asked Ginny.

"Big sporting event like this needs some security. So I volunteered to take the post."

"Doesn't hurt that it's a free chance to see the Cup" Ron grinned.

"No it does not" Tonks agreed. "Too bad Sirius and Remus couldn't get tickets."

"Remus took it ok but I think I caught Sirius trying to duplicate my ticket" Harry finished with a laugh.

"Well I've got to get things ready for when the Minister arrives. See you at the game."

They returned to their tent just in time as Bill, Percy, and Charlie arrived having been able to travel by Apparition. With everyone now together, Mr. Weasley rushed them along as it was finally time to head to the stadium.

* * *

Nothing could calm Harry's heart as it threatened to burst from his chest in excitement as they moved through the woods, arriving at the Quidditch stadium. All around them there were booths and decorations dedicated to the Ireland and Bulgarian teams.

Stopping at one such booth Harry bought them all omnioculars, binoculars charmed to allow one to replay actions in the game, including a slow motion feature. Ron had elected to buy a figure of the Bulgarian seeker, Viktor Krum. While Hermione and Ginny spent their money on shamrock hats.

But soon enough they were in their seats, in the Top Box no less. Turning to see if there was anyone else sitting with them, Harry's eyes landed on a familiar looking creature, a house elf, a house elf that was currently shaking like leaf.

"Are you ok?" he asked, approaching the clearly frightened elf.

"A Soul Reaper" the elf gasped, frightening Harry as he looked frantically to see if anyone had heard the elf before sighing in relief that no one heard her.

"Can you please keep quiet about that" Harry whispered. "I'm only a Substitute Soul Reaper and they don't really want their presence known."

"Winky is sorry" the elf said tearfully. "Winky is only surprised to see one of the Balancers."

"Something wrong, Harry?" Ginny asked, as she, Ron, and Hermione came over to see what was wrong. Harry just gestured to the still shaking house elf.

"Are you alright?" asked Hermione, moving to comfort Winky.

"I is not liking heights at all" said Winky. "My master is very busy. Master sends me to the Top Box; master wants me to save him a seat."

Winky gave the edge of the box a frightened glance and covered her eyes. Seeing there was nothing they could do Harry and the others returned to their seats. But Hermione was definitely planning on adding house elves to her plans to promote equality in the magical world.

Time passed and more people began to enter the box, including the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge alongside the Bulgarian Minister. Fudge had tried to introduce the man to Harry, but he didn't seem to understand English, though much to his displeasure the man had no problem identifying Harry's scar.

After that the mood took a turn for the worse as the Malfoy family arrived.

"Ah Cornelius" Lucius greeted, holding out his hand to the Minister. "How are you? I don't believe you've met my wife, Narcissa? or our son, Draco?"

"How do you do" said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. Fudge then introduced the Malfoy head to the Bulgarian Minister. As her husband was busy with the Minister, Narcissa's eyes swept over the rest of the box's occupancies, until they narrowed on Harry.

On his part Harry didn't hesitate to meet the woman's glare. Despite himself Harry had to admit that Mrs. Malfoy like her sister was a regal looking woman. But she lacked the warmth her sister Andromeda possessed ultimately making her resemble a slightly better looking Cruella Deville.

"Mr. Potter" she greeted icily. "I cannot tell you how pleased I am your efforts led to Sirius' freedom."

"Yes it certainly was a great achievement for the restoration of the Noble Black Family" Fudge interjected. "I'm just glad my administration could help right such an injustice."

While Fudge continued to praise himself he failed to notice the icy glares from the Malfoys. Sirius had told Harry that while he was in prison Draco was set to inherit the title of Lord Black along with Malfoy. But now that he was free Sirius was able to disown both Draco and his mother leaving them unable to access any of the Black vaults. The fact that Andromeda and Tonks were restored to the family was just salt on the wound for Narcissa. But what really hurt Draco was the knowledge that Sirius named Harry as his heir to the lordship.

"Why don't we take our seats" said Mr. Malfoy, clearly not wanting to hear more about how the Black vaults were now forever out of his reach.

* * *

Once everyone was seated a light haired man dressed in Quidditch robes stepped out into the middle of the field. Ludo Bagman Harry heard Mr. Weasley explain was the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

" **Welcome to the Quidditch World Cup"** Bagman announced, his magically amplified voice booming over the crowd. **"Today's match features Bulgaria vs Ireland!"**

"This looks interesting" said Hermione, thumbing through her program. "It looks like each team will bring out their native mascot to put on a show before the match."

"That does sound pretty cool" Ginny agreed.

"Oh great more waiting" Ron complained, earning himself a glare from the girls making Harry very glad he decided to keep his mouth shut.

" **Now without further ado. Let's first introduce the Irish team mascots!"**

The next moment a group of leprechauns entered the field, sliding down a rainbow as they threw gold coins into the crowd. The rainbow continued trailing after them as they performed a number of acrobatics forming various shapes including a unicorn, a giant leprechaun, and finally a shamrock.

" **An impressive display"** Bagman commented. **"Now let's see if the Bulgarians can top that…though I don't expect any complaints from our male audience members at least."**

"Must be Veela" said Mr. Weasley, covering his ears.

"Veela?" asked Ron but his eyes went wide as the show on the field began and Harry was right behind him. Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes as the boys began drooling over the beautiful dancing creatures. Honestly it would've been funny if Harry and Ron didn't look like they were about to dive out of the box.

"Oh no you don't" said Hermione, pulling Ron back down to his seat while Ginny did the same for Harry.

"I can make it" Ron said absentmindedly.

"Need to do something impressive" Harry muttered. "I know I'll bring some Hollows and-"

" _-And that's enough of that"_ Nakatsukasa declared from within Harry's inner world.

The next thing Harry knew he was hit with the most splitting headache, jerking in his seat from the impact as his zanpakutō forcibly ripped him out of his trance.

The music then stopped and the Veela exited the field much to the male spectators' frustration.

"W-what happened" asked Harry.

"Veela" Ginny said simply. Harry wasn't sure but he could've sworn he heard Nakatsukasa sighing in the back of his mind.

" **Now let the games begin!"**

* * *

The match certainly more than lived up to Harry's expectations ending in an upset with the Ireland team's victory despite the Bulgarian team's star seeker Victor Krum getting the snitch.

After the match the group returned to the Weasley's tent to celebrate. Ron fawned over Krum's skill as a seeker. Fred and George were celebrating their winnings over a bet they made with Bagman. Hermione and Ginny enjoyed teasing the boys over their embarrassing display during the Veela performance. And Harry was just glad to have a quiet night for a change.

Unfortunately, he spoke to soon as the sound of terrified screams could suddenly be heard from outside.

"Sounds like the Irish are having fun" said George.

"It's not the Irish" said Mr. Weasley, running into tent looking shaken. "We have to get out of here now!"

Rushing out of the tent Harry was forced to question his decision to stop Lorene as they caught sight of the muggle campground owner and his family being spun high above the trees. A group of masked hooded wizards laughing and roaring beneath them, a few of them firing a green light.

"That's just sick" Ron muttered.

"We're going to help the Ministry" said Mr. Weasley, referring to himself, Charlie, Percy, and Bill. "You lot get into the woods and stick together."

Fred and George led the way as they ran towards the woods. Only once they reached the trees did they slow as the woods were dark and the constantly bumped into people. But none of that mattered to Harry as he froze in place, squeezing his hands tight enough to draw blood as he struggled to control his temper.

"Harry?" Ginny asked in concern, drawing the attention of Ron and Hermione.

"I can't" Harry growled, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I can't just run away."

It wasn't hard for them to understand where Harry's feelings were coming from. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had also been effected by the Fullbringer event. But considering how they barely escaped with their lives in one on one (two on one in the Weasley's case) they weren't sure how much help they could be.

"Harry" Hermione said slowly, her mind flashing back to what Dilan said about wizards. "I understand. But there's nothing we can do against all of them."

"But I can do something."

Ignoring his friends' protests, Harry took off running back towards campgrounds. Reaching the tree line, Harry spotted Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie doing their best to fight off the masked rioters.

"Harry!" a voice called from behind him, prompting Harry to turn to Hermione, Ron, and Ginny who had chosen to come after him.

"No more regrets" Ron said in explanation. He hadn't forgotten the consequences of his own misuse of magic and wasn't about to add more muggle suffering to his conscience.

* * *

When the riot started Tonks couldn't believe her eyes when she spotted them. The dark robes and silver masks could only mean one thing, Death Eaters. It was a relatively small group but the horror from the last war hadn't been forgotten throwing the campgrounds into chaos.

With Fudge being taken care of by his personal bodyguards, Tonks went to work doing her best to stop the masked wizards. Easier said than done for even if the Death Eaters were relatively small in number, they still not only outnumbered her but the panicking civilians running around made it difficult for Tonks to get a shot on them. Even with Hirenkyaku making her just as difficult a target the Death Eaters had one terrible advantage over her: they didn't care about innocents.

And of course the only backup she was getting was from Arthur Weasley and his two oldest sons.

 _Damn it why can't you ever get backup quick_ Tonks mentally cursed, wishing that her Auror support would hurry and arrive. And that's when she noticed, a Death Eater break away from the group, changing his target to Mr. Weasley, who was currently distracted with aiding the evacuation of innocent bystanders. "Arthur!"

Hearing Tonks' cry, Mr. Weasley turned around to see the tip of the Death Eater's wand light up with what could only be the sinister glow of the killing curse.

"Avada…ugh!" The Death Eater groaned, as his body was engulfed in a red light completely paralyzed.

Tonks couldn't help but smile as she recognized the source of the Death Eater's misery as Harry's spirit energy. But that's when she realized that not just the one but all the Death Eaters were frozen in place held by the substitute reaper's kidō.

"Expelliarmus!" Tonks and the Weasleys turned to see Ron, Ginny, and Hermione running forward casting the disarming charm and just as she suspected the Metamorphmagus spotted Harry trailing behind them, focusing on making the Death Eaters easy targets for his friends.

By the time the Auror backup arrived it was already over the beaten Death Eaters were all rounded up and ready for pickup. Tonks couldn't help the feeling of smug satisfaction when she pulled off the mask of the Death Eater who tried to kill Arthur, revealing the face of Lucius Malfoy.

As the Aurors went to work securing the area and modifying the muggle victims' memories, Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie went to check on Harry and the others.

"I thought I told you to go with the twins" said Mr. Weasley, sending a look to Fred and George for failing to keep track of their younger siblings and their friends.

"It's my fault Mr. Weasley" said Harry. "I couldn't just leave that muggle family and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny just followed after me."

"Give them a break, Arthur" said Tonks, walking over to join the party. "They did good work."

Mr. Weasley had to admit that was true and eventually decided to drop the subject but only after ringing a promise out the kids that in the future they would be more careful, though knowing Harry, Ron, and Hermione that was easier said than done.

Though he too took great pleasure in seeing Lucius Malfoy being escorted back to the Ministry for questioning.

 _Let's see you buy your way out of this_. But all too soon Arthur's good mood took a nosedive as suddenly everyone looked up into the sky and Mr. Weasley wasn't ashamed to admit he paled at the sight of a sinister skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.

"The Dark Mark" they heard someone whisper fearfully.

"What's the Dark Mark?" asked Harry.

"You-Know-Who's sign" Tonks replied, before rushing into the woods towards where the mark was cast.

Before he could say anything, Mr. Weasley watched as Harry raced off after Tonks leaving Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys to follow alongside the rest of the Ministry men. What they found was far from expected as they laid eyes on an unconscious Winky.

"Winky?" a voice called out, belonging to an older man in a business suit, with parted gray hair and a neatly trimmed mustache.

"That's your house elf isn't it Crouch" said Mr. Diggory. "Bit embarrassing for you isn't it. I mean, Winky is in violation of the Code of Wand Use: no non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand.

"This can't be" said Crouch, finding it hard to believe his elf would summon the Dark Mark.

In truth he wasn't the only one to find it hard to believe the little elf would be willing let alone able to cast the spell. But she was the only one found by the Aurors leaving them with nothing else to go on.

"Why don't you wake Winky and see what she has to say" suggested on of the Aurors.

"Ennervate!" Once Crouch cast the spell, Winky awoke and upon seeing the mark burst into tears. "Why did you cast the Dark Mark?"

"I-I is not doing it sir" Winky whimpered.

"Then why were you holding this wand?" the Auror questioned, holding up the wand in question.

"That's my wand" said Harry. "I lost it in the chaos."

"But Auror Tonks reported that you had stunned the criminals" said the Auror, giving Tonks silently asking her to explain.

Tonks was mentally kicking herself for reporting all the details but there had been too many witnesses to ignore protocol. She was about to try and come up with some sort of explanation when Harry decided to speak up.

"It was a family spell" said Harry, surprising all those not in the know about his secret. "My mom passed it down."

Everyone seemed to accept this as it wasn't uncommon for some witches and wizards to develop their own spells. The Aurors then turned their focus back on Winky and things weren't looking good when it was confirmed that Harry's wand was used to conjured the Dark Mark. Though it was ultimately decided that Winky most likely just found the wand after someone else cast the spell. Crouch still decided to fire the elf citing that she had disobeyed his orders to remain at the campsite, ignoring her tears as he gave Winky clothes.

Hermione couldn't help but add the house elves to her growing list of things to improve about the wizarding world but before she could even think about approaching the crying elf, Mr. Weasley decided it was a good time to return to the Burrow before anything else could happen.

As they grabbed onto the portkey to return home, Harry couldn't help but pray that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear about their involvement in capturing the Death Eaters. He had the feeling that she wouldn't like that much.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Leave a comment/review.


	3. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Upon their return to the Burrow Mrs. Weasley was sure to give each of the kids one of her famous hugs, though given how tightly she was holding them Harry had the feeling she was just trying to reassure herself that they had all come home safe and sound.

"When the clock said you were in mortal peril I didn't know what to think" Mrs. Weasley muttered, holding onto her husband for support.

"We're all ok, Molly. We're all perfectly fine" Mr. Weasley said soothingly. "Why don't we have some tea."

Entering the kitchen, Harry was surprised to find Sirius and Remus sitting at the table. Apparently Molly wasn't the only one worrying as Remus explained that she had called them over once she saw the Weasley family clock signaling they were in trouble.

Unfortunately, Mr. Weasley thought it a good idea to tell his wife about Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's involvement in the riot at the Quidditch Cup. Needless to say Molly was not pleased to hear that the children had put themselves in danger like that. Thankfully Sirius' comment of them being better than the Ministry Aurors (except Tonks of course) made him the new target of her wrath.

So while Mrs. Weasley was tearing into Sirius for encouraging dangerous behavior the kids all took the opportunity to escape upstairs with Harry and his friends gathering in Ron's room.

"Wow don't think I've ever seen mom turn that red before" said Ron.

"Tell me about it. She'd blow a gasket if she ever learned about the Fullbringers" said Ginny, earning a weird look from the others for her use of a clearly muggle saying. "What? Harry lives in muggle London; I hear things."

"Anyway just wanted to say thanks for backing me" said Harry.

"Well we couldn't leave you to try and save that family by yourself" said Hermione. "On that note; since when have you been able to use your Soul Reaper powers in human form?"

"Not long I just figured it out last week. It's not as strong though."

"Either way it still helped a lot Harry" said Ginny. "I just wonder who used it and stunned poor Winky."

"Crouch shouldn't have done that" Hermione grumbled, referring to the man's callous dismissal of the house elf. "I mean she was in tears and after sending her to save his seat, knowing she was afraid of heights."

"Ok one fight at a time Hermione" said the Weasley girl, not feeling up to a rant from her friend.

"I just can't wait to see Malfoy strung up like the scum he is" said Ron, he hadn't forgotten what the man had done to his sister.

A knock at the door brought an end to the night as Mrs. Weasley ordered them all to bed.

A few days later everyone was gathered around the table enjoying one of Mrs. Weasley's delicious breakfasts.

"Thanks again for letting us join you for breakfast Molly" said Remus. Noticing that his friend was too busy stuffing his mouth to remember his manners the werewolf gave the dog animagus a painful nudge in the ribs, causing him to cough on his morning coffee.

"Yeah thanks, Molly" said Sirius, glaring at his best friend, ignoring the barely stifled laughter of his godson and his friends.

"It was no trouble at all. I just wish Percy would've stayed longer for breakfast." said Molly, turning her attention to the kids she handed each of them a shopping bag from Diagon Ally. "I took care of the school shopping while you were all at the Cup."

Looking inside the kids were surprised to each find a set of dress robes, though if you asked Harry the only real difference from plan everyday ones seemed to be the color. As for the Weasley children they were simply surprised by the good quality.

"Did dad get a raise or something?" asked Ron, eyeing the nicest looking robes he had ever owned. When Arthur denied as such the room's attention was now entirely on Molly, who actually looked a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Ron, Ginny" she apologized, though Ron and Ginny had no idea why their mother would need to say sorry. "When I went to the vault I had thought the extra galleons were from your father's paycheck. I had no idea you two took a summer job."

"Summer job?" they echoed, much to their mother's confusion.

"Yes the goblins said the deposit was from something called Gotei" said Molly, now looking closely at her children.

"Oh yeah!" Harry exclaimed, drawing Mrs. Weasley's attention. "They helped me out at my part time job and my boss decided to reward them."

Harry felt bad for lying but he didn't want to worry the Weasley parents. He already didn't like the fact that his friends got dragged into his Soul Reaper responsibilities. Though now he guessed Ron wouldn't mind helping him out if the captains would continue to reward him.

"Still I apologize" said Molly, neither she nor Arthur would ever willingly and knowingly take money from their children.

"Don't worry about it Mom" said Ginny.

"It's just money" Ron added, surprising his brothers with the show of maturity.

"Ok what happened to the little Ronniekins we know and love?" asked George

"I don't know brother of mine but it seems ickle Ronnie might be…." Fred began.

"Gred you don't mean."

"Afraid so Forge. Ickle Ronnie is growing up."

"Noooooooooo!" George cried dramatically, falling to his knees getting a laugh from the room with the exception of Percy and Mrs. Weasley who quickly pulled him back into his seat.

"Enough of that boys. Maybe you should be learning from Ron" Mrs. Weasley lectured, though there was a brief twinkle in her eye that made Harry think she found it funnier than she'd like to admit.

Sadly, the good times weren't meant to last as Mr. Weasley received his morning paper and from the look on his face it was obvious that it wasn't good news.

"What's wrong, Arthur?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Pettigrew has escaped Azkaban" Mr. Weasley announced.

"That little rat!" Sirius growled, war drums pounding in his head practically demanding he rip the traitor to pieces.

"Let the Auors handle it Sirius" said Remus, as if reading his friend's mind.

"Because they did such a good job last time" the dog animagus scoffed.

"Sirius, Remus is right. They didn't know about him before but they do now" said Arthur.

"You need to think about Harry" Molly reminded him, causing the boy to blush as he could feel everyone watching for his response.

"I think you should just leave it alone, Sirius" said Harry. "We lost enough time."

Harry felt bad about bringing up his godfather's time in prison but he needed Sirius to understand that if the Ministry made another mistake he could end up right back in Azkaban.

"Alright fine" Sirius groaned, he hated to admit it but they were all right. If he went after Pettigrew it might not end well for him. He just got his freedom he couldn't risk that now. Not to mention if anything did happen to him Remus now that his status as a werewolf is out, they'd never let him keep custody of Harry.

The bad news seemed to just keep piling up as the fireplace flared to life and everyone turned to see a Mr. Diggory's head in the flames.

"Sorry to interrupt your breakfast but I need to speak to Arthur" said Mr. Diggory. "It's urgent something's happened with Mad-Eye."

"I'm here Amos" said Mr. Weasley, as he moved to kneel by the fire. "What's happened?"

"It's Mad-Eye. He's up to it again."

"Ugh tell me this doesn't have something to do with today's paper" Arthur groaned.

"I wish that were all. He's on his way down here to complain" said Mr. Diggory. "You see one of his Auror contacts told Mad-Eye that they're discussing Malfoy's release."

"What?!" the room shouted in outrage, reminding both Ministry employees that they weren't alone.

"Let me guess he bribed his way out" Mr. Weasley scowled.

"Afraid so Arthur. He got Fudge with the old Imperius excuse again." Mr. Diggory explained, his tone making clear that couldn't believe such a stupid mad was made Minister. "You can see why I can't have Mad-Eye down here slinging curses every which way. He's done enough damage jinxing his neighbor's trash bins.

"Right" Mr. Weasley sighed, giving his wife an apologetic smile. And like always Molly just assured him that she understood. "I'll be right there to talk him down.

* * *

With Mr. Weasley forced to head into work it fell to Molly and the other adults to get the kids to the station. Nothing a quick floo to Baker Street followed by a taxi ride couldn't solve. They had just reached the steps outside the station when Harry's combat pass went off.

"What's wrong Pup?" asked Sirius, noticing the look on his godson's face.

"I've got a Hollow alert." said Harry, swallowing the mod soul pill. Now in Soul Reaper form, Harry took a moment to make sure Mick understood to stick with his friends before flash stepping way leaving Sirius unsure of what to do.

"What's keeping you?" asked Remus, walking over to the pair.

"Harry has some last minute things to take care of" Sirius explained, prompting a sigh from the werewolf.

"Of course. Alright let's just take Mick to the others. They can watch over him until Harry catches up."

* * *

Leaving King's Cross Station behind, Harry took to the skies extending his senses out in search of the Hollow's spiritual pressure. It didn't take long for him to get a lock on the monster. Flashing stepping down town to a local park, Harry spotted the spirit of a little boy running from what looked like a giant green skinned six legged beetle with a human like white mask.

The Hollow let out a fierce roar in anticipation of devouring the child's soul when suddenly it was forced to stop in its tracks as Harry appeared between it and its prey.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked the boy as he drew Nakatsukasa.

"Y-yeah" the boy stuttered.

Taking a glance at him, Harry guessed the boy couldn't be more than maybe five years old. A cold furry built inside him as he turned his focus back on the Hollow that had decided to try and add the Substitute Soul Reaper to the menu.

Apparently the Hollow had thought that Harry was too distracted by the boy's age to notice it was going for a sneak attack. It was wrong for before it could even move to pounce on him, Harry was already swinging his zanpakutō, cleaving the monster's head in two.

With the Hollow taken cared of Harry turned his focus back to the boy to explain how he was going to send him on to the Soul Society. But unbeknownst to him two figures were watching him from a nearby rooftop.

The first was a small black cat. The second was a man with messy blond hair and stubble, holding a cane, dressed in a dark green outfit under a dark coat. But the most striking feature of the man was his wooden sandals and his dark green and white striped bucket hat.

"He seems to be handling himself well. What do you think Yoruichi?" asked the man, looking down at his cat.

"I'd have to agree Kisuke. The kids got good reflexes" said Yoruichi in a deep masculine voice, revealing himself to not be an ordinary cat. "So tell me, why the sudden interest in the new boy?"

"There's been reports of a change in Harry Potter's spiritual pressure."

Now that certainly peaked the cat's interest.

"So is this like Ichigo and the Vizards?"

"Not sure yet. Unlike with Ichigo, Harry's powers like his mother's awakened in response to a threat. In addition, Harry has shown no signs of Hollowfication." Kisuke explained. "So the question is just what's causing this change."

"And you're telling me you don't have any ideas" Yoruichi said skeptically. "Forget it. I'm guessing you want me to help you look after the kid."

"Sharp as always. And while I do have some possible ideas in mind. I'd feel better if you were looking after him while I try to narrow things down."

"Fine Kisuke but tell me this. Why isn't Squad 12 handling this? After all I'd think Kurotsuchi would jump at the chance to examine a wizard."

"Turns out Lily Potter caught wind of the investigation and made it perfectly clear to Ukitake that she'd prefer me to do the investigation."

This was something that they both could understand given that without proper supervision the odds were good Harry would've ended up as one of the crazed Squad 12 captain's test subjects.

"So will you do it?" asked Kisuke.

"Yeah" Yoruichi agreed casually, stretching to release some tension in his back. it's been awhile since I've been to Scotland."

The two friends then returned to a comfortable silence as they watched Harry leave to respond to another Hollow alert.

* * *

Back on the platform the kids and Mick, currently occupying Harry's body had loaded their stuff onto the train and were in the middle of saying their goodbyes.

"So any chance you're going to be our new DA professor?" Ginny asked Sirius, aware that the ex-convict was currently living off his family's wealth and the Ministry's compensation.

"No way. Bad enough Moony went traitor" Sirius grinned. "But don't worry, you've got a good one this year."

"So you know who it is then?" asked Hermione.

"Hey no blabbing" said Charlie, pulling his sister in for a hug. "We don't want to take away from such an interesting year."

"'Interesting year?' what're you guys hiding from us?" Ron demanded.

"Oh nothing you just might be seeing me sooner than you think."

"Why?" George asked impatiently.

"It's part of your 'interesting year'" said Bill. "I might have to take some time off to catch some of it."

"Some of what?!" Ginny and Ron exclaimed, but none of the adults were willing to give even a clue as to what they were talking about.

"I expect you'll find out this evening" said Mrs. Weasley. "It's going to be very exciting. Mind you, I'm glad they changed the rules."

"What rules?!" the kids exclaimed. But once again no one said anything. Instead they were forced back on the train and watched as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Sirius, and Remus waved as the Hogwarts Express pulled away.

* * *

Once in their compartment Ron, Ginny, and Hermione couldn't help but worry about what was keeping Harry.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" asked Ginny.

"I don't know" said Hermione. "Does he usually take this long dealing with a Hollow?" she asked, turning to Mick for an answer.

"The Boss can usually make quick work of the average Hollow now" said the mod soul.

"And what about the not so average?" asked Ron.

"No worries if it was a something like a Menos class Hollow you'd definitely know it. I mean the spiritual pressure alone would knock the breath out of you. Odds are Boss is just being held up by a lot of Hollows in the area."

This calmed Hermione, Ron, and Ginny as they started to try and enjoy the train ride. During the journey the three friends decided to keep Mick away from the rest of the train remembering how the mod soul had gotten into some trouble with Fred and George the previous year.

But the peace couldn't last forever as Draco Malfoy and his cronies barged into their compartment.

"You've got a lot of nerve Potter! Thinking you can get away with humiliating my father!" Draco snarled, getting in the confused mod soul's face.

Hermione, Ginny, and Ron weren't sure what to do about the situation as Malfoy continued to run his mouth at Mick thinking he was Harry. All they could do was wait and see how the mod soul would respond.

"Are you threatening me?" Mick questioned, narrowing his eyes as he prepared to fulfill his prime directive of protecting Harry's body.

"I'd get out of his face if I were you Malfoy" Hermione warned.

"Quiet Mudblood! After Potter you're…ugh!" Draco stumbled back, his nose broken and bleeding after taking a low powered jab to face from Mick.

"You know you've got a big mouth" said Mick, not backing down as Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward to backup Draco.

"You're going to pay for Ah!" Draco screamed as Mick threw Hedwig's cage thankfully empty at his arm, hard enough to snap it on impact.

"Now get out before I get serious" the mod soul threatened. But Malfoy and his two stooges instead drew their wands forcing Mick to take things a bit more seriously.

Not even a full minute later the three Slytherin bullies were left a beaten and broken mess as they ran out of the compartment thinking they'd finally pushed Harry too far.

"That was brilliant" Ron cheered.

"I can't believe you did that Mick" Hermione scolded. "I know you're supposed to look after Harry's body but you can't just beat people to a pulp."

"Relax it was just Malfoy."

"She's saying that everyone will think Harry beat them up" said Ginny.

"And what's the problem there?" Ron questioned, thinking that Draco will finally learn to leave them alone. Or at least suffer greatly from the blow to his ego.

"But if Mick gets out of hand the professors will be all over Harry" said Hermione, making the mod soul feel like he let down his master. "Mick sometimes you need to prioritize defense over offense."

"Right, I get it. Let them get the first shot in, and then beat them down" said the mod soul, getting a laugh from the Weasley siblings and an exasperated sigh from Hermione.

"All things considered, I don't think Malfoy will be saying anything" said Ginny. "He'd have to admit that all three of them not only got beat by Harry (well his body) but he did it all without magic."

This seemed to calm Hermione as she realized that Ginny had a point about Draco's ego preventing him from admitting defeat. So the group of friends went back to enjoying the train ride as they awaited Harry's return.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Leave a comment/review.


	4. The Triwizard Tournament

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

"Where the hell are you all coming from!" Harry yelled in frustration, driving his zanpakutō into a Hollow's skull. A savage roar alerted the young reaper to the approach of another Hollow, prompting him to evade its attack with a quick use of flash step, finishing the beast off with his Ain-Soph-Aur attack before it could find him.

After missing his train, Harry was understandably frustrated and the ever increasing number of Hollows in London along with the weather showing signs of turning to the worse, wasn't helping his mood.

"Please tell me that was the last one." Of course the answer was no as he picked up on the spiritual pressure of another Hollow appearing in the city. Thankfully it wasn't in his assigned sector of the city. But still it begged the question of where was his replacement?

"Hey!" a voice cried, alerting Harry to the presence of an afro headed Soul Reaper. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Huh?" Harry questioned, not quite getting what the problem was.

"Yeah you thinking you can go around taking over my mission. Do you know who I am? I am Kurumadani Zennosuke!" he declared, as if expecting Harry to recognize him. "And who do you think you are coming here and killing Hollows in my turf?!"

Now that got a rise out of Harry considering this idiot had been late and still had the nerve to act like he was some sort of elite. But from what he could sense off him Zennosuke only had the power of a low ranking Soul Reaper.

"I'm Harry Potter: Substitute Soul Reaper" he announced, flashing his combat pass.

"Argh not another one!" Zennosuke complained. "First that Kurosaki kid and now you!"

Harry couldn't help but feel reminded of Lockhart, in the sense this Soul Reaper was a man that highly overestimated their own capabilities. Though the fact he at least alluded to being overshadowed by the illustrious Ichigo Kurosaki at least made him the better of the two.

"Look the only reason I'm still in London is because **you** were late" Harry reminded him, wanting to put an end to this and hurry to the train or at least catch the opening feast.

"Right my bad" Zennosuke muttered, looking very apologetic.

While Harry was somewhat curious as to why the Soul Reaper was late, he was much more interested in getting to Hogwarts. So deciding to let the issue drop for now he opened a Senkaimon and headed on his way.

* * *

Harry arrived just in time as he spotted the Hogwarts express pulling into station in Hogsmeade. Sadly, while London was getting ready for rain, Hogsmeade was already practically waterlogged. It didn't take long to find Mick and soon enough he was enjoying the carriage ride up to the castle, while his friends filled him in on the mod soul's exploits. After hearing about what Mick did to Malfoy, Harry wasn't sure whether to laugh or to groan agreeing that Hermione had a point in that the mod soul couldn't solve every problem with punching.

"Blimey" said Ron, shaking his head dry as they entered the castle. "The lake's going to over flow at this rate. I'm…hey!" the redheaded boy complained, glaring at Harry for pushing him.

Before he could demand an explanation a large red water balloon dropped down where he was standing moments ago, splashing some of the nearby students. The following familiar cackle identified the perpetrator as Peeves.

"Sorry" Ron said sheepishly, now understanding his best friend had sensed the poltergeist and had saved him from being further drenched.

"Don't worry about" said Harry, now turning his attention to the ghostly prankster. "Peeves!"

Hearing the voice of the resident Substitute Soul Reaper forced Peeves out of his good time as he was well aware of the fact that Harry could easily send him off to the other side, something the poltergeist was far too fearful to face.

At that moment, Prof. McGonagall came rushing out of the great hall; though she would be credited as the reason the poltergeist left, Harry and his friends shared a grin knowing Peeves simply didn't want to push the Substitute Soul Reaper too far.

With Peeves gone the professor quickly ushered the students into the great hall. After warmly greeting Nearly Headless Nick, Harry and his friends watched as the sorting went off without a hitch, though he did note that Colin brother Dennis had joined them in Gryffindor much to his delight. Hermione also pointed out that their DADA professor was missing though Ron suggested that the weather most likely held them up.

Ginny's theory about Draco's pride proved true as none of the professors bothered Harry about beating up the Slytherin and his goons. Admittedly he was curious about how his school rival had explained away his bruises. But he quickly pushed it out of his mind as Dumbledore stood to give the opening speech.

"I have only two words to say to you" he told them, his voice echoing around the hall. "Tuck in"

"Hear, hear!" Harry and Ron cheered, their empty plates magically filling with food.

Dumbledore may not be his favorite person right now but after spending hours fighting Hollows, Harry was more than happy to enjoy the feast. As for Ron well he was always up for food. Unfortunately, his now developing maturity didn't spread to his table manners, made evident by Hermione and Ginny's disgust at the sight of him stuffing his face with mashed potatoes.

"You're lucky there was a feast at all" said Nearly Headless Nick, floating over. Apparently their groups stronger connection to the spirit world made them better company than ordinary wizards.

"What happened?" asked Ginny.

"Peeves of course" Nick sighed, nearly shaking his head off. "He wanted to attend the feast. But you know what he's like. We held a ghost's council, the Fat Friar was all for giving him a chance. But most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

"Thought he seemed upset about something" said Harry. "He's usually more careful about avoiding me."

"So what did he do?" asked Ron.

"Oh the usual" Nick shrugged. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house elves out of their wits."

"One fight at a time, Hermione" said Ginny, preempting another of Hermione's rants about the care of house elves. "You saw how loyal Dobby was to find help this summer."

This seemed to pacify Hermione for the moment as she did see how desperate the elf was when he appeared in her room searching for help during the Fullbringers' capture of Hogwarts.

"Alright so maybe Hogwarts treats them right" said Hermione. "But that doesn't mean there aren't people that take advantage of them."

Ginny decided to quit while she was ahead and just, took it as a victory. Though none of them believed Hermione wouldn't bring it up again at some point. But at least she stopped her from doing something drastic like staging an impromptu hunger strike.

Once the pudding desert was gone, Dumbledore rose to his feet. The hall fell silent as everyone turned their attention to the headmaster.

"So!" said Dumbledore, smiling at the student body. Though if one looked closely they'd see that the twinkle in his eyes seemed to fade for a moment as his gaze fell upon Harry. "Now that we're all fed and watered. I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices."

What followed was the usual listing of forbidden items added to Filch's list. The reminder that the apply named Forbidden Forest was just that forbidden. And of course that the trip to Hogsmeade was only for third year students and above.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

And just like that in a few words Dumbledore had frozen every Quidditch loving student to the bone.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the schoolyear, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy. But I'm sure you will enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure to announce that this year at Hogwarts…."

Dumbledore paused as the great deafening rumble of thunder and the banging of the doors to the great hall opening, revealed a stranger in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began walking towards the teachers' table.

Every head in the place focused on the stranger, his form suddenly illuminated by a flash of lightning. Hermione gasped as the lightning revealed the man's face to be covered in scars. Harry couldn't help but compare the man to Head Captain Yamamoto; though the Soul Reaper's face wasn't as heavily marked both men carried marks that spoke of years of combat experience that proved themselves to be powerful and fearsome warriors.

As the stranger passed them, Harry was able to take in more details of the man's face. His nose seemed to be missing a large chunk but what was most striking was his eyes. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and side to side, independently of the normal eye. To Harry's surprise the eye actually rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so all they could see was whiteness.

The stranger reached Dumbledore, stretching out a badly scarred hand, shaking hands with the headmaster. As he shook his hand, Dumbledore leaned muttered some words that no one could hear. He seemed to be asking a question as the stranger simply shook his head before taking a seat at the headmaster's right hand, completely indifferent to the students' stares.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor" Dumbledore said brightly. "Professor Moody."

While normally new staff members were greeted with applause everyone other than Hagrid and Dumbledore was too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance.

"Moody?" Harry muttered to Ron. " **Mad-Eye** Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be" Ron said in a low, awed voice.

"What happened to his face?" Hermione whispered.

"I think I remember Tonks mentioning him once" said Ginny. "He's like a legendary Auror. Makes sense that he'd have some scars."

Moody didn't seem to care about the less-than-warm welcome. Instead he decided to ignore the pitcher of pumpkin juice and took a swig from his hip flask, causing his traveling cloak to slip revealing several inches of a carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, recapturing the room's attention.

"As I was saying, we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months. An event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're joking!" Fred shouted, breaking the tension in that hall from Moody's arrival, setting the students off into a laughing fit.

"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley" Dumbledore chuckled. "Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar …"

Prof. McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Right, maybe this is not the time…no…. where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament…well, some of you will know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

Dumbledore then explained that the Tournament had begun some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. One student would be chosen to represent their school and compete in three magical tasks. But the tournament eventually was discontinued when the death toll grew too high.

"The heads of Beauxbaton and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred hissed down the table, his face lit at the idea of glory and riches. He wasn't the only one as all around the hall students were visualizing themselves as the Hogwarts champion.

That excitement dimmed as Dumbledore continued to explain that as a precaution it was decided that only students who are of age would be allowed to compete.

"I will personally be ensuring that no under age students hoodwink the impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling as they flickered over Fred and George's mutinous faces. "I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrong will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. Now it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime!"

As they left the great hall Harry could hear Fred and George discussing how they'd find a way to enter the tournament. Personally Harry didn't really care about the tournament, he had enough responsibilities with his work as a Soul Reaper.

Ron thought the idea of being Hogwarts champion was cool, but he had to admit that an older student would be more suited for the task.

* * *

Entering their dorm room Harry was surprised to find he had a surprise waiting for him on his bed.

"What's with the cat?" asked Ron, pointing to the black furred animal sleeping on his friend's bed.

"No idea" said Harry, confused as to what he should do with it.

"Maybe it's someone's pet" suggested Neville.

"Probably just got lost" said Dean, agreeing with Neville.

"Just put it out in the hall" said Seamus, already getting into bed. "I want some sleep."

 _Well aren't you a fun one_ Yoruichi thought to himself, waiting to see just what Harry would do.

Harry himself wasn't entirely sure what to do with the cat. From what he could tell it didn't have any tags making him wonder if it was a stray that had somehow made its way into their dorm. Still he would've felt bad just kicking the poor animal out; so he decided to place one of his pillows on the ground and let the cat sleep there for the night.

 _Hmm, nice to cats that's a point in your favor_ Yoruichi smirked, getting comfortable on the makeshift bed. _Still nothing too strange about his spiritual pressure so far. Guess I'll just wait and see if it changes further. You so owe me big for this one Kisuke._


	5. Harry's Long Day

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

The next morning Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way into the great hall, finding seats just as Prof. McGonagall passed out their new schedules.

"Today's not bad, outside all morning" said Ron, running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care for Magical Creatures…damn, we've still got it with Slytherin."

"I'm just glad I've got the afternoon free" Harry said sleepily.

"Are you alright Harry?" asked Hermione, now noticing how exhausted her friend looked.

"Yeah mate, you look like you haven't sleep a wink" said Ron.

"That's because I barely got any" said Harry, tapping the ever present combat pass around his neck.

Ron and Hermione's eyes widened in understanding at the silent communication. Apparently London wasn't the only area plagued with an increase in Hollow activity. So Harry was forced to spend most of the night protecting the area, understandably he was exhausted.

"Can't you ask for help?" Hermione suggested, as they exited the great hall.

"This is my territory during the school year" Harry said stubbornly. Somehow asking for help in protecting such a small area made him feel like he was saying he was failing.

Hermione just shook her head in frustration, muttering something about male stubbornness as they trio walked into the greenhouse.

* * *

Herbology had thankfully gone without incident. Bringing them to their last class of the morning and Harry another step closer to his nap.

Hagrid was waiting outside his hut, one hand on Fang's collar. There were several open wooden crates at his feet and the enormous boarhound was fighting against his master's grip, apparently keen on getting away from the boxes.

"Morning!" Hagrid greeted, smiling at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Been waiting for the Slytherins, they won't want to miss this- Blast Ended Skrewts!"

"What?" asked Ron, not recognizing the name.

Hagrid pointed down into the crates. Inside was what looked like a pale, slimy deformed shell-less lobsters. There were hundreds of them, each about six inches long, crawling over each other, bumping blindly into the sides of the crates. All smelling like rotting fish. Every so often they'd release sparks from their backsides, acting like jets propelling them forward several inches.

"Only just hatched" Hagrid said proudly. "So you'll be able to raise them yourselves! Thought we'd make a project out of it!"

"And why would we do that?" Draco demanded, as he and the Slytherins arrived.

"Oh can't you just shut up for once?!" Harry snapped, he was too tired to deal with Malfoy's attitude at the moment.

"Watch it Potter."

"Or what? you'll ask daddy to bribe you out of trouble! Not like he doesn't have experience."

Infuriated by the reminder of his father's although brief incarceration for the World Cup incident and Harry's role in it; Draco backed by Crabbe and Goyle drew his wand.

"Alright that's enough!" Hagrid intervened, not wanting things to turn violent. "That's twenty points from Slytherin for drawing your wand on a classmate. Now get in line before I fail you for the day."

Draco was practically shaking with rage as he marched into line followed closely by his henchman, silently vowing to make Harry pay for his crimes against the Malfoy family.

"Now you're just feeding them today" said Hagrid, getting back to his lesson. "You'll want to try them on a few different things. I've never had them before, not sure what they'll go for."

Hagrid had laid out several different options for the strange creatures, including ant eggs, frog livers, and dead grass snake, just to name a few.

Nothing but deep affection for Hagrid could've made Harry, Ron, and Hermione pick up the still liquid filled frog livers and drop them into the crates to tempt the Skrewts.

"Are we sure they even eat?" Ron questioned, noticing that the creatures didn't seem to have a visible head.

"Everything that lives has to eat something" said Hermione.

"That's what I'm afraid of" Harry muttered, pulling his hand back as a skrewt made a move for it.

"Ouch!" Dean Thomas yelled, apparently Harry wasn't the only one the skrewts were being hostile with. "It got me!" the Gryffindor had gotten his hand burnt by one of the creatures' back blasts.

"Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?" asked Lavender Brown, clearly disgusted by the creatures.

"Ah, some of them have got stingers" Hagrid said enthusiastically, prompting Lavender to quickly pull her hand out of the crate. "I reckon those are the males. The females got a sort of sucker things on their bellies. I think they might be for sucking blood."

"Well I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive" Malfoy said sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

"Just because they're not pretty, doesn't mean they're not useful!" Hermione snapped. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want one for a pet, would you?"

Harry and Ron grinned at Hagrid, who gave them a furtive smile from behind his bushy beard. The half giant would like nothing more than a pet dragon, as they had witnessed back in first year with Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback.

* * *

Soon enough the class came to an end much to the students' relief.

"Well, at least the skrewts are small" said Ron, as they made their way up to the castle for lunch.

"They are for now" said Hermione, exasperated. "But once Hagrid finds out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."

"Won't matter if they turn out to be the cure for seasickness or something, will it?" the redhead said cheekily, not bothering to hide the grin on his face.

"You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up. As much as it pains me, I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stomp on the lot of them before they all start attacking us."

Once they sat down to eat, Harry was surprised to feel something moving over his feet. Curious he reached under the table to find it was the same black cat from the night before.

"Did you get a cat, Harry?" asked Ginny, as she sat down to join them.

"No more like its adopted him" said Ron. "Found it in his bed last night."

"He was gone this morning. I figured the owner found him" said Harry.

"Well it doesn't look like he has any tags" said Hermione. Taking out her wand Hermione transfigured a spare piece of parchment from her bag into a leather collar, placing it around the cat's neck. "There now he's yours."

"Shouldn't I get a say in this" Harry complained. "Besides, Sirius is a dog animagus; he might not want one in the house."

"What's the harm" said Ginny, smirking at Harry's discomfort as the cat started purring in his arms. "Besides it looks like he likes you."

 _Yeah Harry how could you abandon me_ Yoruichi thought playfully. _I don't let just anyone collar me after all._

Seeing that he was outnumbered Harry reluctantly agreed to take owner ship of the cat at least until he spoke to Sirius about it during the winter holidays.

"So what're you going to call him?" asked Ron, as they left the great hall.

"Felix I guess" said Harry, earning a chuckle from Hermione and a bewildered look from the two Weasleys.

"Felix is a character in a silent muggle cartoon" Hermione explained.

"Sounds fitting then" said Ron, the cat seemed to be unusually quiet considering how easily it could sneak around. "We are sure he's an actual cat, right?"

Hermione was tempted to call Ron paranoid but given how they had found the cat and how long Pettigrew had masqueraded as the Weasley family pet; she had to admit he might've had a point. Ginny was of the same mind and had joined them in looking to Harry for confirmation of the cat being just that.

Agreeing that it was a good idea, Harry focused on opening his senses to the spiritual auras around him as the Spirit Ribbons slowly came into view. Ron, and Hermione's eyes widened in shock as they've now grown spiritual aware enough to see the ribbons around them.

"Don't freak out" said Harry, not wanting to make a scene.

"Sorry" Ron muttered. "This was how you found Pettigrew, Right?"

"Yeah." Checking the ribbons Harry was pleased to see that the cat didn't have a white human Spirit Ribbon, though the gold color hinted to some magical creature relation like Hagrid. "Well the cat's only guilty of being part magical creature."

 _Disguising your spirit energy, Stealth Force 101._ Yoruichi smirked. _Nice try kid._

"Might be part kneazle, like Crookshanks" said Hermione.

"Well as long as he's not an anigamus who cares. said Harry, as they left the great hall. "I'm going to catch a nap see you later"

"Lucky" Ron muttered, as he still a double period of Divination.

"If you wanted some time off you should've dropped Divination" said Hermione.

"Still I hope he gets some sleep. He looked like he really needs it" said Ginny.

They were all about to split up for their respective classes when suddenly they noticed Malfoy and his goons following after Harry.

Worried about their friend Ginny, Ron, and Hermione followed just in time to catch sight of Draco casting a spell at Harry's back.

"Harry!" Ginny cried, hoping there was time for the Substitute Soul Reaper to act.

Harry turned at the sound of Ginny's voice, his widened at the sight of the spell headed his way. It was only his honed reflexes that saved Harry, as he rolled out of the spell's path. Not about to wait for Malfoy to fire again, Harry plunged his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he could even touch it a loud bang and a roar echoed through the hall.

"OH NO YOU DON'T LADDIE!"

Harry spun around, spotting Prof. Moody limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the castle's stone floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

"Nice reflexes, Potter" Moody complimented. "Ever think about being an Auror?"

"No. Can't say I have" said Harry.

"Leave it!" the professor shouted suddenly.

"Leave, what?"

"Not you him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. Apparently Moody's rolling eye was magically able to see through objects, including the back of his own head.

Moody limped over to Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and ran off.

"I don't think so!" Moody roared, pointing his wand at the ferret again- it flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, then bounced upwards once more.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned" he growled as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do. Never. Do. That. Again!"

"Prof. Moody!" cried the shocked voice of Prof. McGonagall, arriving on the scene. "What are you doing?"

"Teaching."

"Teach-Moody is that a student?!"

"Yep" Apparently Moody didn't see what the problem was.

"No!" Prof. McGonagall cried, pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise Draco Malfoy reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his blonde hair all over his now wonderfully pink face. "Moody we never use transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore told you that?"

 _Probably told him whatever line was convenient_ Harry thought bitterly.

Watching patiently from a windowsill, Yoruichi perked up as he sensed a change in Harry's spiritual pressure. _Hmm now that's interesting. It was faint but I swear, I sensed the kid's spiritual pressure fluctuate._

"We give detentions Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House" McGonagall snapped, not liking the former Auror's unconcerned attitude towards cruel punishments of students.

"I'll do that then" said Moody, staring at Malfoy with contempt.

Malfoy, whose pale eyes were starting to water with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody, muttering something in which the words "my father" were distinguishable.

"Oh yeah?" Moody said quietly, the dull clank of his leg echoing in the hall as he closed the distance between them. "Well I know your father of old, boy. You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son. You tell him that from me. Now, your Head of House be Snape, will it?"

"Yes" Malfoy said resentfully.

"Another old friend. I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape. Come on, you."

Roughly grabbing Malfoy's arm, Moody marched him off towards the dungeons. Prof. McGonagall stared anxiously after them before leaving to prepare for her next class.

"Nobody talk to me" Ron said quietly, as he, Hermione, and Ginny moved to check on Harry.

"Why not?" asked Hermione, surprised by the request.

"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever. Draco Malfoy the amazing bouncing ferret!"

This set them all off laughing, when the warning bell rang signaling the next class would be starting soon, forcing them to split up for the afternoon.

* * *

"A bed never felt so good" Harry muttered to himself, throwing himself into bed.

At last Harry was getting his long awaited sleep. Well he was until his combat pass decided now was a good time to go off.

"Oh come on" he groaned, leaving his body behind in bed as he took reaper form.

A quick scan of the area pointed Harry to the Forbidden Forest. It didn't take long for him to spot a trio of giant spider Hollows moving through the trees. Harry couldn't help but wonder if perhaps they were once part of the Acromantula colony he and Ron had seen in their second year.

Regardless he wasn't about to leave the Hollows to devour innocent souls. Drawing his zanpakutō, Harry flash stepped in front of the group, cutting off their advance.

The Hollows screeched upon seeing the Soul Reaper, before firing a wide spray of webbing from their mouths. Harry tried to cut the webbing but the sticky substance was stronger than it looked, holding up against Nakatsukasa's blade, as it spread across the Substitute's body trapping him in a cocoon.

Harry struggled to escape from his prison as the Hollows surrounded him, their mouths practically drooling at the idea of devouring a Soul Reaper.

As one the spider Hollows pounced, eager to sink their fangs into Harry's flesh only to be knocked back as an explosive force was released from his body.

Harry's entire body glowed, as he released spirit energy from his body disintegrating the Hollows' webbing.

 _Ok I seriously need to get some sleep_ Harry thought miserably, mentally kicking himself for taking so long to free himself, and against low level Hollows no less.

Having no other tricks up their sleeves the Hollows released another spray of webbing but this time Harry was prepared.

"Ain-Soph-Aur!" with a swing of his sword, Harry released the deadly wave of energy destroying the webbing and the three Hollows in a single move.

With the Hollows taken cared of Harry flashed stepped back to the castle, hoping to get some more sleep before dinner. But unbeknownst to him, Yoruichi had been watching the fight from the trees the entire time.

 _Weird his spiritual pressure stayed stable the entire time. So it starts acting weird after getting attacked by some brat, but does nothing when fighting Hollows. Just what's up with this kid? Argh I should've made Kisuke be more specific about what to look for!_

 _Still I can't go letting the kid die because he's tired and too stubborn to call for backup. Though I suppose that does make it easier for me. I doubt they want the entire Gotei 13 knowing about this. Guess I'll give him a hand every now and then._

Yoruichi then returned to the castle with a flash step of his own.


	6. The Unforgivables and The Menos

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

The next few days passed without incident with Harry getting more sleep thanks to Yoruichi secretly dealing with any Hollow alerts while he slept. Though things were about to get a bit more interesting as the fourth year Gryffindors were about to begin their first DADA class with Prof. Moody.

The class was eagerly anticipated, prompting the entire class to wait outside Moody's classroom, long before the bell had even rung. The only person lagging behind was Hermione, who had turned up just as the bell rang.

"Sorry" Hermione gasped, out of breath from running. "Been in the…."

"Library" Harry finished her sentence for her.

"C'mon, we don't want to lose any good seats" said Ron, pushing his friends into the classroom. His new goal to become an Auror aside, it seems the incident of the bouncy ferret had made the Weasley boy very eager to see Moody's teaching style.

Finding seats right in the front row, the golden trio took out their texts books and waited, unusually quietly. Soon enough they could hear Moody's distinctive clunking footsteps coming from down the hall, shortly before he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever.

"Put the books away. You won't be needing them" Moody growled, taking a seat at his desk.

Harry couldn't help but notice this seemed to increase Ron's excitement. Moody quickly went through the register, his magical eye swiveling around, fixing upon each student as they answered. Once attendance was complete Moody addressed the class.

"Right then, I've got a letter from Prof. Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a thorough grounding in tackling dark creatures. But you're behind, very behind on dealing with curses. So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark…"

"What aren't you staying" Ron blurted out.

Ron looked extremely nervous as Moody's magical eye spun around to stare at him. But after a second, Moody smiled, the first time anyone had seen him do so. Despite making his face look more twisted than ever, it did also easy the class and relieve Ron that the retired Auror could do at least attempt to look friendly.

"You're Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" said Moody. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago. Yeah I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore. One year, and then back to my quiet retirement."

He gave a harsh laugh, and then clapped his gnarled hands together.

"So straight into it. Curses; they come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you counter curses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. But Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, recons you can cope, and I say, the sooner the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Ms. Brown, when I'm talking."

Does he mean us or me? Harry thought bitterly, thinking this was just another manipulation by the headmaster.

Elsewhere in the castle Yoruichi once more felt a small shift in Harry's spiritual pressure.

"So do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?" asked Moody.

Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Ron and Hermione's. Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was focused on the now blushing Lavender.

"Er, my dad told me about one." Ron said tentatively. "Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah, yes" Mood said appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble one time, the Imperius Curse."

Moody then opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar, containing three black spiders. Harry felt Ron flinching slightly next to him, reminding him of his best friend's fear of spiders.

Reaching into the jar, Moody held one of the spiders in his palm up for the class to see. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered "Imperio!"

The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backwards and forwards, as though it was on a trapeze, before flipping through the air to land on top of his desk. Moody then jerked his wand, compelling it to start tap dancing.

Everyone started laughing, that is everyone but Moody.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"

The laughter stopped almost instantly. The class listened in stunned silence as Moody explained that the Imperius Curse granted the caster total control of their target and how during the war with Voldemort many witches and wizards were controlled by the curse.

"Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll teach you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody barked, and everyone jumped.

Moody picked up the spider and threw it back into the jar.

"Anyone else? Another illegal curse?"

As expected Hermione's hand flew into the air again, but the real surprise was so Neville's did too. The shy Gryffindor usually only volunteered information in Herbology, which was easily his best subject. Neville himself seemed surprised by his own daring.

"Yes?"

"There's one- the Cruciatus Curse" said Neville in a small but distinct voice.

Moody looked over Neville intently with both eyes.

"Your name's Longbottom?" he said, magic eye checking the register.

Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further queries. Once more he took a spider from the jar, this time placing it on his desk, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.

"The Cruciatus Curse, needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the point" said Moody, casting the enlarging charm on the spider. To Ron's horror the spider grew until it was the size of a large paperweight. "Crucio!"

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon itself; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure if it had a voice, it'd be screaming. Moody didn't seem to care as he continued the horrific display, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently.

"Stop it!" Hermione shrieked, not looking at the spider but at Neville. And Harry following her gaze saw that his hands were clenched, knuckles white, his eyes widened in horror.

Moody thankfully stopped the spell, but the spider continued to twitch. Returning the spider to its proper size, he placed it back in the jar.

"Pain" Moody said softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. That one was very popular once too. Right anyone else?"

Hermione raised her hand shakily. Getting the go ahead from Moody, she whispered the curse the most infamous of the unforgivable curses. "Avada Kedavra."

"Yes the last and the worst" said Moody, a slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. "The Killing Curse."

By this point it came as no surprise that the final spider was to be used as a demonstration. Sensing its impending demise, the spider frantically tried to move away from Moody's grasp, but he trapped it, placing it on his desk. The spider scuttled frantically across the wooden surface.

Moody raised his wand "Avada Kedavara!"

There was a flash of blinding green light and just like that the spider's life was snuffed out.

"Not nice. Not pleasant. And there's no counter curse. There's no blocking it. Only one person is known to have ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."

Harry could feel every eye in the room focus on him, but all he could focus on was that, that was the curse that had killed his parents. Even knowing the truth about his mother's identity as a Soul Reaper, and her defeat of Voldemort did nothing to comfort him. In the end he was left with the credit for his mother's work and Harry was forced to grow up without them, and no amount of trips to the Soul Society would change that.

* * *

The rest of the class passed with the students taking notes on the three Unforgivable Curses. No one spoke until the bell rang, but that all changed once Moody dismissed them and they had left the classroom.

As he heard their classmates speak excitedly about the class but Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't bring themselves to agree. For them especially after the last summer that sort of display was just disgusting.

"Hurry up" Hermione said tensely, having spotted Neville ahead of them.

"Not the library" Ron complained.

"No" she snapped, pointing up side hallway. "Neville."

Neville was standing alone, halfway up the hall, staring at the stone wall with the same horrified, wide-eyed look he had when Moody demonstrated the Cruciatus Curse.

"Neville?" Hermione said gently.

"Oh hello" he said, his voice much higher than usual. "Interesting lesson wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner, I'm-I'm starving aren't you?"

"are you alright?"

Oh yes, I'm fine" Neville continued to speak in the same unnaturally high voice. "Very interesting dinner. I mean lesson. What's for eating?"

Ron gave Harry a startled look, neither of them knew how to help their clearly traumatized friend.

"Neville, what…?"

But an odd clunking noise sounded behind them, as expected they turned to see Prof. Moody limping up to them. All four fell silent, watching him nervously, but when he spoke, it was in a much gentler growl than they had yet heard.

"It's alright, sonny" he said to Neville. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on, we can have some tea."

This actually seemed to frighten Neville more, as he neither moved nor spoke. Moody's magical eye then focused on Harry.

"You alright, Potter?"

"Yes" Harry said, almost defiantly.

Moody's blue eye surveyed Harry for a few moments.

"You've got to know. It seems harsh maybe, but you've got to know. No point pretending. Well come on, Longbottom. I've got some books that might interest you."

Neville looked pleadingly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but they didn't say anything, so Neville had no choice but to let himself be steered away, one of Moody's scarred hands on his shoulder.

"What was that about?" Ron questioned, watching Neville and Moody turn the corner.

"I don't know" said Hermione, looking pensive.

Silently they headed off to the great hall. Hermione didn't join in with Harry and Ron's conversation during dinner. Instead she just ate her meal in record time and left for the library, leaving her friends to wonder just what she was working on.

"Guess I better get my Divination stuff" said Ron, as they headed for the Gryffindor Tower.

"Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked as they approached the Fat Lady.

"Probably but Dumbledore's always done things his way. And Moody's been getting into trouble for years. Attacks first and asks questions later. Balderdash."

The Fat Lady swung forward to reveal the entrance hole, Ron and Harry climbed into the Gryffindor common room, which was crowded and noisy.

"Can't believe they're still going on about Moody's class" Ron muttered. "Nothing funny about suffering."

Admittedly, Harry believed that if they hadn't had their run in with the Fullbringers, Ron probably would've been more excited about the demonstration. Still he wasn't about to say that out loud, more mature or not that would definitely set his friend off.

Entering their dorm room, Ron and Harry found Neville sitting on his bed reading, looking a great deal calmer, though his eyes were rather red.

"You alright, Neville?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes" said Neville. "I'm fine thanks. Just reading this book Prof. Moody lent me…"

He held up the book: Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.

"Apparently, Prof. Sprout told Prof. Moody I'm really good at Herbology. He thought I'd like this."

Once Ron grabbed his Divinations supplies, they returned to the common room, grabbing a table in the corner where he could work. Which basically meant he'd be bouncing prediction ideas off of Harry.

"What do you think of next Monday, I'm likely to develop a cough?" asked Ron.

"Sounds good but you need a reason" said Harry, prompting his friend to look through his text book.

"Got it. I'll be caused by the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter."

For the next hour, Harry helped Ron come up with predictions for Trelawney's class, as the common room slowly emptied as students went to bed. At some point, Crookshanks and Yoruichi wondered into the room, getting comfortable in an empty chair, and the windowsill respectively; the former glaring at Ron in a manner similar to his master, should Hermione find out he wasn't doing his homework right. While the latter simply looked bored, though was keeping a subtle eye on Harry.

"Hey what about…." Harry was cut off as his combat pass went off. "How about a Hollow attack while I'm trying to give you an idea. You good to watch Mick?"

"Yeah sure" said Ron, wondering if the mod soul would have any ideas.

As he turned back to his assignment, Ron failed to notice Yoruichi vanish in a burst of speed.

* * *

The Hollow's spiritual pressure led Harry to the mountains surrounding Hogsmeade. But what he found was far from the usual Hollow.

"Bloody hell" Harry gasped, frozen in shock as the sky was actually torn open by what was easily the largest creature he had ever seen.

The Hollow stood at least 6 stories tall, it's mask possessed an elongated nose, while its entire body was wrapped in what appeared to be a black cloak. If the size of the creature didn't clue him in, it's immense spiritual pressure certainly told Harry, he was about to have his first run in with a high level Hollow.

Steeling his nerves, Harry decided his best course of action was to charge straight for the monster's head. He flew at it at top speed, Nakatsukasa at the ready to split the Hollow's head in two, only be caught off guard as the Hollow opened its mouth and fired a devastating crimson blast of spirit energy.

With no time to dodge, Harry brought up his zanpakutō in an attempt to block the blast, but the force of the energy proved too much for him as it sent him flying, before crashing painfully into the ground.

"Ugh" Harry groaned, as he tried to force himself to his feet. Despite not being able to defend against the full force of the Hollow's attack, he did manage to at least reduce the damage.

The ground shaking beneath him, was all the warning he had as Harry flash stepped into the air, just avoiding being crushed under the Hollow's foot.

Determined not to allow the Hollow to take another step towards Hogsmeade; a blinding pillar of light rose from Harry's body as he focused all of his spirit energy.

"Let's see how you like this. Ain-Soph-Aur!" Pushing his spirit energy to the max, Harry released the largest surge of energy he could muster, easily dwarfing any display of power he'd shown so far.

Once again the Hollow's mouth opened as it released another blast of blast energy. The Hollow's attack met Harry's dead on in a massive explosion as they cancelled each other out, leaving the monster still standing and one exhausted Substitute Soul Reaper.

Harry couldn't help the cold chill of fear as the Hollow prepared to launch another attack. But like a proud Gryffindor he was determined to face his end without fear, or at least as well as he could manage as the Hollow fired once more.

But to Harry's confusion the pain never came as suddenly a mysterious woman stood between him and the Hollow's attack, actually stopping it with her bare hand.

The woman had dark skin, long purple hair kept in a ponytail. She had a slender build, dressed in an orange sweater over a black shirt and black pants. Lazily knocking the blast away, she turned to face Harry revealing herself to have golden eyes, and she was easily one of if not the most beautiful woman, he had ever seen.

"Who are you?" Harry asked, awed but the casual display of power.

"Guess you aren't ready to deal with a Menos Grande, yet" said the woman, an oddly placed mischievous twinkle in her eyes, given their current situation.

The Menos as the woman called it let out a fearsome roar at the appearance of a new enemy. Harry saw over her shoulder that it was preparing for another attack, but before he could say anything the woman was already all over it.

In the fastest burst of speed, he'd ever seen the woman went from standing in front of Harry, to under the Menos' jaw line, sending it reeling back with a solid uppercut.

"Bloody hell" Harry gasped, sounding a lot like Ron. From the use of flash step, Harry now knew her to be a Soul Reaper but he still never expected such a display of strength.

Before the Hollow could right itself, the woman darted behind it knocking it to the ground with a powerful kick to the back of the head. With the Hollow now lying helpless with its face in the dirt the woman dive bombed it, sending her fist clean through its skull.

"Well that takes care of that" said the woman.

"Who are you?" Harry asked again. But instead of answer the woman just flashed stepped away, moving far faster than he could ever hope to match. With no hope of catching up to the woman, Harry flash stepped back to Hogwarts at a much slower speed.

* * *

Harry returned to the common room to find Hermione talking to Ron and Ginny.

"Harry, you ok?" asked Ginny, the first to notice his return.

Waving off his friends' concerns, Harry returned to his body.

"Yeah I'm ok. Just a tough one" he then explained about his run in with the Menos Grande and the mysterious woman that saved him.

"Bloody hell" said Ron. "I'm starting to miss when we didn't know about this stuff."

"Can't believe something like that's been wondering around without anyone noticing" said Ginny. With each new revelation she and Ron were starting to understand a bit more how muggleborns and their parents feel when they learn about the magical world.

"I'm just glad they sent someone to help you" said Hermione, fully supporting the Soul Society's support.

"Yeah but she could've at least told me her name" Harry sighed. "So, what were you talking about?"

This seemed to make Hermione's day, she smiled brightly as she handed him a badge bearing the letters S.O.M.E.

"Some? Some what?"

"Not some. It's S-O-M-E. Stands for the Society of Magical Equality."

"It's her new club" Ron explained. "She's just started it."

"How many members have you got?" asked Harry.

"Well if you three join it'll be four" said Hermione. "But I've been researching a lot of former muggleborn students. I'm hoping to get in contact with them soon, and I plan to talk to Dobby…"

"Wait, why Dobby?" Harry had assumed this was Hermione's plan to fight bigotry against muggleborns. Why would she need a house elf's help?

"To represent the house elves of course."

"Hermione, what happened to one fight at a time?" asked Ginny, she thought they'd have more time before Hermione went back to the whole house elf slavery situation.

"Oh well I thought about it and it's really not two fights" said Hermione. "It's actually one big one. Ron gave me the idea over the summer to form a union ("I did?!") for the muggleborns but then I thought why not expand it. That way I wouldn't need to form a second group. It's one union meant to fight against all forms of bigotry."

Hermione went on to explain S.O.M.E.'s goals and assigned Ginny and Ron roles in the developing organization: Ron (treasurer), Ginny (secretary), and Harry she understood was busy with his Soul Reaper work, though she did ask that he help her with handing out flyers and other campaigning strategies in his free time.

As the first meeting of S.O.M.E. took place unbeknownst to them, Harry's mysterious savior was standing on top of Gryffindor Tower, speaking on a soul pager, the cell phone of the Soul Reaper, speaking to Kisuke Urahara.

"Any news?" asked Urahara.

"His spiritual pressure seems to shift almost at random" said the woman. "Doesn't seem to change when in battle. But if I had to guess it's based on his emotions."

"Strange his emotions shouldn't be having that effect." It's not uncommon for someone's spiritual pressure to flair wildly in response to the owner's emotions but to actually change the signature was unheard of. "That's good work so far. Keep me updated, Yoruichi."

"Yeah, yeah" Yoruichi said casually. "I know what to do. Talk to you later."

Transforming into the cat, Harry had called Felix, the transformed Soul Reaper dropped down onto an open windowsill before slipping into Harry's room, making herself comfortable on the pillow he had turned into her bed.


	7. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

The next few weeks were business as usual, Harry would go to class, and deal with any Hollow alerts. Thankfully he hadn't had any more run ins with a Menos Grande, though he couldn't help but wonder about the Soul Reaper that saved him.

"I think you should just let it go, Harry" said Hermione, as they walked to their next DADA class. "The Soul Society probably just thought you could use the help."

"Yeah I guess, but she could've at least given me her name" said Harry. It was bad enough that he wasn't strong enough to defeat the Hollow but to be completely written off like that, just hurt his pride. "So how's S.O.M.E. going?"

Hermione's face lit up as she explained how many of the muggleborn graduates had responded to her letters. While the group was still getting on its feet, the fact that there was interest really seemed to motivate her to work on getting the same kind of response from current Hogwarts students.

"What about the house elves?"

This unfortunately didn't have the same effect as the glimmer in Hermione's eyes dimmed into a look of frustration and righteous furry as she reported that the house elves didn't seem to want fair representation. With the exception of Dobby, they all rejected her offer of wages and the usual employee benefits made standard in the non-magical world.

"But they got it good at Hogwarts" said Ron. "Maybe, they just don't want that stuff."

"They've been brainwashed" said Hermione, disgusted by how even the well treated Hogwarts elves were still in essence slaves. It didn't matter how well they were treated, slavery was still wrong and she wouldn't let it go unchallenged.

Harry was just glad that they reached the DADA classroom before they could get into a real argument.

To their surprise Moody announced that he'd be putting the Imperius Curse on each of the students, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.

"But-but you said its illegal, Professor" Hermione said uncertainly as Moody cleared away the desks with a sweep of his wand, leaving a large clear space in the middle of the room. "You said to use it against another…."

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like" said Moody, his magical eye focusing on Hermione, fixing her with an unnerving, unblinking stare. "If you'd rather learn the hard way, there's the door."

He pointed one gnarled finger towards the door. Hermione now blushing muttered something about not meaning she wanted to leave. Ron and Harry grinned at each other, they knew Hermione would rather eat flubber worms than miss such an important lesson.

Moody then called each student up and put the Imperius Curse on them. Harry watched as his classmates did the most extraordinary things under its influence. Dean Thomas hopped around singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of gymnastics he would certainly not have been capable of in his normal state of mind. Not one of them seemed able to fight off the curse, only recovering when Moody removed it.

"Potter" Moody growled. "You're next."

Harry moved into the middle of the classroom, Moody raised his wand, pointed it at him and said "Imperio!"

What followed was the most wonderful feeling, Harry had ever felt. He felt like he was floating as every thought and worry in his head was wiped away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. Harry was only dimly aware of everyone watching him.

And then he heard Moody's voice, echoing in some distant chamber of his mind: _Jump onto the desk…jump onto the-_

" _Harry!"_ Nakatsukasa cried, breaking through the curse's influence. If Harry had to choose between listening to Moody or his zanpakutō, Nakatsukasa wins every time.

The next thing Harry knew, he felt the fog lifting from his mind. He was standing in the middle of the classroom with the eyes of his classmates still on him.

"Look at that, you lot!" Moody growled, his blue eye still focused on Harry as he addressed the rest of the class. "Potter fought! He fought it and beat it!"

* * *

Moody had ended up using Harry as an example of how to beat the Imperius, casting on him another three times; each time breaking it faster than before.

"You know it isn't exactly fair" said Hermione, as they left the classroom. "I mean you have Nakatsukasa, helping you."

"It's not my fault she's protective" said Harry.

It wasn't hard to tell that Hermione didn't like the idea of not being able to do something in class. Though Harry had to admit having a zanpakutō spirit to back him up really did make the difference this time.

"Let it go, Hermione" said Ron, still feeling slightly nauseous from the curse. Though Moody did assure him it'd wear off by lunch.

The rest of the day passed without incident. The only noteworthy thing being the increase in homework as each of the professors needed to prepare the students for their O.W.L.s the following year. Though Harry did notice that they seemed stressed over something; it wasn't until dinner that night that he found out what.

It was just after class with Hagrid and the Gryffindors were in a good mood; laughing at the verbal beat down the half giant had given Malfoy for arguing with his instructions to study the behavior of the fast growing Blast-Ended Skrewts.

While none of them had changed their opinion of the dangerous creatures anytime someone put Draco in his place was certainly something to celebrate and the perfect way to start lunch (in Ron's opinion). But to their surprise when they arrived in the entrance hall, there was a large crowd of students blocking the way. Ron as the tallest of the golden trio managed to see above their heads and read aloud to Harry and Hermione:

 **TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

 _ **The Delegations from Beuaxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30**_ _ **th**_ _ **of October. Lessons will end half an hour early-**_

"Brilliant!" Harry cheered. "Potion's last thing on Friday!"

With the increase of work from the professors, Snape had them working on researching antidotes; hinting that he might just poison them for fun.

 _ **Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.**_

"Only a week away!" said Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff, emerging from the crowd, his eyes gleaming. "Wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him…"

"Cedric?" Ron questioned, as Ernie hurried off.

"Diggory" said Hermione. "He must be entering the tournament."

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?"

"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he's a seeker for another team. I've heard he's a really good student and he's a prefect."

She spoke as though this settled the matter.

"You only like him because he's handsome" Ron said scathingly.

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" Hermione said indignantly.

Ron gave a loud false cough, sounding oddly like, "Lockhart!"

This got a laugh from Harry, earning him a harsh glare from Hermione.

* * *

Over the following week, the tournament was all anyone could talk about. Rumors were flying around from student to student like highly contagious germs: who has going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the visiting students would differ from themselves.

The castle itself also seemed to be undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning. It seemed by the end of the week there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere in the castle.

When they went down to breakfast on the morning of October 30th, the found that the great hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous banners of the four houses hung from the ceiling along with the largest banner baring the Hogwarts coat of arms behind the teachers' table.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione spotted Fred and George at the Gryffindor table. The strange thing was the twins had decided to sit away from the rest of the table. Curious as to what his brothers were plotting, Ron led the way over to them.

"It's a bummer, all right" George said gloomily to Fred. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send a letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" asked Ron, sitting down next to them.

"Wish you would" said Fred, irritated by the interruption.

"What's a bummer?"

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother" said George.

Clearly something was bothering the twins but none of them had a clue what. Deciding a change of topic might help, Harry decided to ask about their plans for the tournament.

"I asked McGonagall about how the champions are chosen but she wasn't telling" George said bitterly. "Just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron pondered. "You know, I bet we could do them Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before…"

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't" said Fred. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who're the judges?" asked Harry.

"Well, the heads of the participating schools are always on the panel" said Hermione, and everyone looked at her, rather surprised. "Because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792 when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage."

"Let me guess. Hogwarts, A History" said Ginny, walking over to join them.

"More like a Highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School."

"What are you on about?" asked Ron.

"House Elves" said Hermione, her eyes flashing. "Not once, in over a thousand pages are they mentioned. Not to mention anything about the people like Malfoy running around!"

Harry just decided to focus on his eggs. While Hermione's S.O.M.E. project was actually getting some support from the muggleborns, half-bloods, and even a few pure bloods like Neville Longbottom and the Weasleys; they were more in support of standing against blood purity. House Elves really weren't that big a concern to them, it didn't help that Dobby was the species' only representative.

"Listen, you want to fight that blood purity garbage and that's great" said George, leaning in toward Hermione. "But, have you ever been down to the kitchens?"

Hermione nodded, Dobby had brought her there when she first approached the castle elves about working to gain them benefits.

"Then you've seen how happy they are. They think they've got the best job in the world…"

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione snapped. "The elves at Hogwarts may not be beaten but what about all the others. What about people like Crouch or Malfoy that just beat and abandon them?!"

The rest of Hermione's words were drowned out by the sudden whooshing noise from overhead, signaling the arrival of the post owls. Harry looked up and smiled as he saw Hedwig soaring towards him. Hermione stopped talking abruptly; she and the four Weasley siblings watched as Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder, holding her leg out wearily.

With a smile on his face, Harry removed the letter from Hedwig's leg and offered the faithful owl bits of toast, which she ate gratefully.

 _ **Dear Harry,**_

 _ **Told you, you'd be getting a good Defense Teacher this year…no wait that was Mick. Anyway I know Mad-Eye can be a bit…ok completely mental but he knows his stuff. He really helped your dad, Moony, and me out when we first joined up with Dumbledore (You ever going to tell me what's up between you two?) to fight Voldemort in the war.**_

 _ **Sorry for not telling you about the Tournament but we figured you'd appreciate the surprise. Anyway hopefully you'll be able to watch the tasks without trouble. Be sure to pick up a Beuaxbatons girl. I hear good things about French girls. (Sirius!)**_

 _ **Ignore your prat of a godfather Harry, try not to get into any trouble. Oh and before I forget, Prof. Dumbledore stopped by the other night to ask if your scar has been hurting. Has it? and do you know any reason why he'd ask?**_

 _ **Regardless be sure to send us another letter soon.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Remus and Sirius**_

"What's that?" asked Ron.

"A letter from Sirius and Remus" said Harry. "I wrote to them about Moody and the tournament."

No said anything about the smile on Harry's face; they knew how much it meant to him to finally have someone to mail home to about these things.

But as happy as he was to finally have family that loved him in the World of the Living anyway, Harry couldn't help but wonder just what Dumbledore was planning asking Remus and Sirius about his scar. He knew it flared up painfully when he was around Voldemort but it hadn't bothered him once since his first year. The only recently odd thing he could think about was the strange nightmare involving Pettigrew he had before the Quidditch Cup.

In truth Harry had forgotten about it until then.

 _But Pettigrew did escape. Maybe I should…no they'd just go to Dumbledore._

For now, Harry decided to keep the strange dream to himself; he didn't to risk either Remus or Sirius going to Dumbledore about him.

* * *

There was an air of anticipation that day. Nobody was very attentive in lessons they were much more interested in the arrival of the two schools; even Potions was more bearable than usual, though that was just because it was an hour shorter.

As instructed the students deposited their books in their houses, pulled on their cloaks, and rushed to the entrance hall, where the Heads of Houses ordered them into lines.

"Weasley, straighten your hat" Prof. McGonagall snapped at Ron. "Ms. Patill, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

Parvati scowled and removed a large ornamental butterfly from the end of her plait.

"Follow me, please" McGonagall instructed. "First years in front. No pushing."

They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk falling and a pale transparent moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. Harry stood between Ron and Hermione in the fourth row from the front, shivering as a cold wind blew past them. He wasn't the only one as he could see Dennis Creevey shivering from a mix of excitement and the cold along with the other first years.

"Nearly six" said Ron, checking his watch. "How'd you reckon they're coming? Train?"

"I doubt it" said Hermione.

"Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

"I don't think so, not from that far away."

"A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate-maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"You can't Apparate inside Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" Hermione said impatiently.

Getting tired of waiting, Harry decided to extend his senses outward to see if he could pick up on anyone approaching the school.

"There here" he said quietly so that only Ron and Hermione could hear him.

Dumbledore supported this when he suddenly called out from the back row where he stood with the other professors.

"Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beuaxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" many students asked eagerly, all looking in different directions.

Hermione and Ron thought it made more sense just to ask Harry, who accommodated by pointing over the forest. "There!" he cried, loud enough to alert those around him.

Something large, much larger than a broomstick was rocketing across the night sky toward the castle, growing larger by the second.

"It's a dragon!" a first year shrieked.

"Don't be stupid, it's a flying house!" said Dennis Creevey.

Turns out Dennis' guess wasn't that far off. The object glided over the tree tops of the Forbidden Forest, the lights from the castle illuminating it to reveal a giant, powder-blue, horse drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring towards them, pulled by the strength of a dozen winged horses, each the size of an elephant.

The front three rows of students stepped back as the carriage swooped down, coming to a stop where they once stood. A second later the door to the carriage opened and a boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled with something for a moment on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps, before stepping back and standing at attention.

They then saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerge from the carriage, followed by the largest woman, Harry had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses was suddenly explained.

The only other person in the living world, Harry had ever seen as large as this woman was Hagrid; he wasn't entirely sure if there was even an inch difference in their heights. As she stepped into the light revealing handsome olive-skinned features, huge black eyes, and sleek hair drawn back from her face. She was dressed from head to toe in black satin, with opal jewelry around her neck and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them doing their best to get a better look at the woman.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward towards Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. The Hogwarts Headmaster, though tall himself, barely had to bend to kiss it.

"My dear, Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts" he greeted.

"Dumbly-dorr," Madame Maxime said in a deep voice. "I hope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you."

"My pupils" the Beuaxbatons Headmistress announced, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

A dozen boys and girls, all in their late teens emerged from the carriage, moving to stand behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering which wasn't surprising, given that their robes seemed to be made from silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks.

"Has Karakaroff arrived yet?" asked Madame Maxime.

"He should be here any moment" said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up?"

"Warm up, I think. But the horses…"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them, the moment he returns from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some other-err-charges."

"Skrewts" Ron muttered, sharing a grin with Harry and Hermione.

"My steeds require-err-forceful handling" said Maxime, looking as though she doubted any Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "They are very strong."

"I assure you, Hagrid will be well up for the job" said Dumbledore.

"Very well. Will you tell this Hagrid that the horses drink only single malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to."

The Hogwarts students parted to allow, Madame Maxime and her students to pass. As they passed Harry failed to notice one of the students, a girl with long silvery blonde hair, giving him a strange look as they entered the castle.

"What do you think happened with Hagrid?" Harry questioned.

"Maybe the skrewts escaped" Ron said hopefully.

"Don't say that" Hermione shuddered. "Imagine them loose on the grounds…."

They stood silently waiting for the arrival of the other school. Suddenly, a loud and eerie noise echoed from the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.

"Where's that coming from?" asked Ron, looking to Harry for an answer.

But before he could answer sixth year Lee Jordan yelled out, "The Lake!"

From their positon at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of what appeared to be the mast of the ship slowly emerging from the lake. The ship rose slowly out of the water, shining in the moonlight, looking like a ghost ship out of a horror movie. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship surfaced completely, bobbing like a rubber duck on the surface of the lake.

A moment later the ship anchored a plank was lowered onto the bank. The students then disembarked, each wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Prof. Krakaroff" Dumbledore replied.

Krakaroff stepped into the light of the castle, showing himself to be tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee did not hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

"Dear old Hogwarts" said Krakaroff, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Harry noticed his smile didn't extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good. Viktor, come along, into the warmth…you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold."

Karkaroff called forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Harry caught glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. He didn't need the tap on the shoulder by Ron, or the hiss in his ear, to recognize him.

"Harry, its him! It's Krum!"


	8. The Goblet of Fire

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

"I don't believe it!" said Ron, in a stunned voice, as the Hogwarts students filed into the castle behind the party from Durmstrang. "Krum, Harry! Viktor Krum!"

"I see him, Ron" said Harry, laughing at his friend's behavior.

"For heaven's sake, Ron! He's only a Quidditch player" said Hermione.

"Only a Quidditch player?" Ron gasped, a look of disbelief on his face. "Hermione, he's one of the best Seekers in the world! I had no idea he was still in school!"

As they headed for the great hall, they saw Lee Jordan jumping up and down on the soles of his feet, trying to get a look at the back of Krum's head. Several sixth year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked.

 _Guess Ron's not the only fan_ Harry mused, chuckling at his fellow students' displays of celebrity worship.

They walked over to the Gryffindor table, Ron taking special care to sit on the side facing the table as Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered around it, apparently unsure about where they should sit. While the students from Beauxbatons had chosen seats at the Ravenclaw table. looking around the great hall with glum expressions on their faces. Harry couldn't help but be reminded of Mrs. Malfoy, who wore a similar look on her face when confronted with her disownment from the Black Family.

"Over here! Come and sit over here!" Ron hissed. "Hermione, budge up, make a space…"

"What?" Hermione questioned as Ron suddenly looked like he swallowed a lemon.

"Too late" he said bitterly.

Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students had taken seats at the Slytherin table. Malfoy looked smug as Krum ended taking a seat near him and his goons. Hermione just rolled her eyes as Ron clenched his fists in frustration, as Draco leaned in to speak with Viktor.

"Yeah that's right, smarm up to him, Malfoy" Ron said scathingly. "I bet Krum can see right through you. Bet he gets people fawning over him all the time. Where do you reckon they're going to sleep? Harry…"

"Ron before you go any further let me say, we're not offering them our room" said Harry.

Hermione snorted as it looked like that was exactly what Ron was going to suggest.

"Besides they look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot" said Harry, glancing at the Ravenclaw table.

The Durmstrang students were pulling off their heavy furs and looking up at the starry black ceiling with interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets, apparently impressed.

Once all the students were seated the Hogwarts professors took their places at the staff table with the visiting Prof. Karkaroff and Madame Maxime taking sitting on either side of Dumbledore, who had remained standing, calling for silence.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and-most particularly-guests" he announced to the hall. "I take great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls, clutching a muffler around her head gave an obviously sarcastic laugh.

"No one's making you stay" Hermione scowled, offended her attitude towards the castle.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast" said Dumbledore. "I now invite you to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

With is announcement complete, Dumbledore then sat down to begin a conversation with his fellow Headmasters as the tables were magically provided with delicious looking food and beverages. While this was normal for any meal, it didn't take anyone long to notice there was a greater variety of dishes available than usual, many of which looked to be foreign.

"What's that?" asked Ron, pointing at a large dish of some sort of shellfish stew.

"Bouillabaisse" said Hermione.

"Bless you."

"No, it's French" she explained. "I had it on holiday the summer before last. It's very nice."

"I'll take your word for it" said Ron, helping himself to a serving of black pudding.

About twenty minutes into the feast, Hagrid walked into the room through a door behind the staff table. He slid into his seat at the end and waved to Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand.

"Skrewts doing alright, Hagrid?" Harry called.

"Thriving!" he called back happily.

"Yeah, I'll bet they are" Ron said quietly. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like: Hagrid's finger."

At that moment, a voice spoke up from behind Harry. "Excuse me, are you wanting the bouillabaisse?"

It was the same girl from Beauxbatons that was eyeing Harry on her way into the castle, the same girl who laughed during Dumbledore's speech.

Ron went purple. He stared at her, opened mouth but his voice refused to form words, only a faint gurgling noise.

"Yeah, have it" said Harry, handing the dish to the girl.

"You have finished with it?"

"Yeah" Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah, it was excellent."

The girl gave Harry another strange look before picking up the dish and carrying it carefully back to the Ravenclaw table. Ron was still gawking at the girl as if he'd never seen one before. Harry couldn't help but laugh, the sound of which seemed to jog Ron back to his senses.

"She's a veela" he said hoarsely.

"Of course she isn't!" Hermione snapped. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"

"You sure about that?" said Harry.

As the girl crossed the hall, many boys turned their heads, some even turned temporarily speechless like Ron.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of the girl. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts."

On his part, Harry was curious as to why the girl had looked at him like that. Seeing no harm in it, he decided to call up the Spirit Ribbons and just like Ron had suspected, the girl had a golden ribbon.

"Guess Ron's right" said Harry, mentally thanking Nakatsukasa for keeping him from acting like a fool again. Though he now suspected that the part Veela could instinctually tell that he himself wasn't entirely human either.

"Yes well if he can put his eyes back in his head, he'll be able to see who's just arrived" said Hermione, pointing at the staff table where Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch had taken seats next to Karkaroff and Maxime respectively.

"What're they doing here?"

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they? It makes sense they'd want to see it start."

Once the golden plates were wiped clean, Dumbledore stood to address the hall once more.

"The moment has come" he said, smiling at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the cask-"

"The what?" Harry muttered. But Ron and Hermione just shrugged, neither of them hearing anything about a cask.

"- Just to clarify the procedure that we'll be following this year. But first, let me introduce for those that don't know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Games and Sports.

Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament and they will be joining myself, Prof. Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions efforts."

At the mention of the word 'champions', the attentiveness of the of listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, "The casket, please Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the hall approached Dumbledore, carrying a large, extremely old looking, wooden chest encrusted with jewels. A murmur or excited interest rose from the watching students.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman" Dumbledore continued, as the chest was carefully placed on the table before him. "And they've made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year. They will test the champions in many different ways: their magical prowess, their powers of deduction, and of course their ability to cope with danger."

At this last word, the hall fell so silent that you couldn't even hear anyone breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools" Dumbledore went on calmly. "They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tasks and the champion with the highest score after all three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be selected by an impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire."

Tapping his wand three times on the cask, slowly opening its lid, Dumbledore reached inside and pulled out a large, roughly carved wooden cup. It would've been entirely unremarkable if not for the dancing blue flames inside it.

"Anyone wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have 24 hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three chosen it has judged worthy to represent their schools."

Dumbledore then went on to explain that the Goblet of Fire would be placed in the entrance hall, protected by an Age Line, to keep out underage students. Finishing with a warning that entering your name in the goblet establishes a binding magical contract, so only those truly prepared should enter. His announcement complete he then called for everyone to head to bed.

As the students began to leave the hall the Weasley Twins were of course already plotting how to enter the tournament.

"An Age Line" said Fred, a glint in his eyes. "Well that should be fooled by an Aging potion shouldn't it? and once your names in that goblet, it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance" said Hermione. "We just haven't learned enough."

"Speak for yourself" said George. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"

"No way" said Harry. "I'm perfectly happy to let someone else get the attention." _Not to mention soul reaping is a time consuming job._ "What about you, Ron?"

"Where is he?" Ron muttered, apparently not listening to a word of the conversation. Instead he was looking through the crowd for any sign of Krum. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

As they passed the Slytherin table, Ron got his answer; Karkaroff had just walked over to his students.

"Back to the ship" he said. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Harry saw Viktor shake his head as he pulled his furs back on. He watched as one of the Durmstrang boys tried to ask for some wine but Karkaroff quickly shot him down, it was clear the man's paternal persona was meant solely for Krum.

Karkaroff turned and led his students towards the doors, reaching them at the exact same time as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry stopped to let him walk through first.

"Thank you" Karkaroff said carelessly, glancing at him. The Durmstrang Headmaster froze as he turned back to Harry, staring at him in disbelief, his eyes fixed upon his lightning bolt scar.

"Yeah that's Harry Potter" said a growling voice from behind them.

Karkaroff spun around to find Mad-Eye Moody standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, eyes glaring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang Headmaster.

The color drained from Karkaroff's face as a terrible look of fury and fear came over him.

"You!" he cried, staring at Mad-Eye as though unsure he was really seeing him.

"Me" Mad-Eye said grimly. "And unless you've got something to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

It was true. Half the students in the hall were now waiting behind them, looking over one another's shoulders to see what was causing the holdup.

Without another word, Karkaroff swept his students away with him. Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense hatred upon his mutilated face.

* * *

That night, Harry in Soul Reaper form was working his way through the Hogwarts ghosts, sending those close to becoming Hollows off to the Soul Society. It was beginning to look like a quiet night when suddenly he sensed a strange spiritual pressure.

Following the spiritual pressure led Harry to outside the Durmstrang ship where he spotted a ghost hanging around one of the windows. Upon closer inspection he saw the spirit actually had a chain linking it to the ship.

 _A Bound Spirit_ Harry realized, remembering his first encounter with such a spirit after he first gained his powers.

Approaching the spirit cautiously Harry could make out details of the ghost. The Spirit was female looking about in their mid to late teens, had messy blond hair, glasses, and was wearing a Quidditch Jersey. As he got closer he could hear the ghost speaking to herself.

"He's amazing. He' so amazing. I just want him to notice me. He'll see no one appreciates his talent more than me."

"Um, hello?" said Harry, careful not to anger the spirit so close to the Durmstrang students.

But the ghost girl didn't seem to hear him, instead her attention was fixed entirely on whatever was in the window. Curious Harry peaked past the spirit to see that she was spying on a sleeping Viktor Krum.

 _So that's who's amazing. Wait a minute._ Taking a second look at the Bound Spirit's chain, Harry noticed that the chain actually reached through the hull of the Durmstrang ship, and was in fact binding the spirit to Krum. Taking a closer look at the Quidditch player the Substitute Soul Reaper could see that he was decidedly much paler than he appeared at dinner.

"Ok, that's enough."

Grabbing the ghost by the shoulder, Harry tried to pull it away from the window only to be blasted back by a burst of spirit energy. Now aware of his presence the ghost turned to the Substitute Soul Reaper, her face twisted with rage.

"You! You were with them!" she snarled, large cracks starting to spread across her face. "I won't let you take him away from me!"

Harry's jaw dropped as he now realized that the spirit had bound itself to Krum because she was a fan. Based on her behavior she had a really bad case of celebrity worship; Harry couldn't help but compare it to Ron's and his fellow Hogwarts students' own behavior regarding the Quidditch player.

 _Ron would kill me if I let anything happen to Krum_. Drawing his zanpakutō, Harry watched as the spirit's rage shattered the chain binding her to Krum, causing her body to explode violently.

Remembering the last time, he fought a Bound Spirit, Harry braced himself as a powerful wind blew through heralding the arrival of the newly formed Hollow.

The monster in question appeared on the deck of the Durmstrang ship; The torso of the Hollow was human like in appearance and clearly female, with her Hollow whole located in the center of her chest, while the lower half of its body was that of a serpent.

"Krum…Krum…. Krum" the Hollow repeated, still bound by her obsession with the Quidditch star.

Ron's feelings aside there was no way, Harry was going to let the crazed fan turned Hollow continue to feed off of Krum. Nakatsukasa in hand, the Substitute Soul Reaper charged the Hollow aiming the blade at her head. But the beast was quick, bending her body around the reaper's blade as she slithered past him.

As she moved past Harry, the Hollow countered spitting acid at the Substitute's face. Instinctually Harry brought his hand up to block the attack, hissing in pain as it burned his skin. Now unable to grip his sword with both hands, Harry made a one-armed swing at the Hollow but the creature's body, just managing to make a shallow cut along her tail before she escaped inside the ship.

"Just great" Harry groaned, as he followed after the Hollow below deck.

The inside of the ship was like the outside, dark and uninviting, looking as if it was salvaged from a graveyard. With the dim lighting limited Harry's vision but if there was one good thing about Bound Spirit's it was that they were predictable; there was only one place the Hollow was sure to go.

So it was no surprise when he found the Hollow looming over Krum's bed moments away from taking his soul. Determined not to let that happen, Harry dived at the monster managing to drive his sword through her tail as she tried to slink past him.

"Sorry but my friend's a big fan and he'd kill me if I let you take Krum's soul" said Harry, pulling his sword out make another swing at the Hollow's head.

But despite the injury the Hollow still proved to be a difficult target, twisting around Harry's strike and wrapping the Substitute Soul Reaper's body in her tail, in an attempt to squeeze the life out of him.

"Hadō #1: Shō!" directing the kidō at himself Harry sent both himself and the Hollow crashing through the wall out into the ship's hallway, freeing himself in the process.

As he faced off against the Hollow, Harry knew he needed to put an end to the beast's slippery movements. Channeling his spirit energy, crackling golden built around his good hand as he prepared his second kidō spell, when suddenly a beam of light passed over his head striking the Hollow.

Harry groaned in frustration as the spell did nothing more than annoy the Hollow. That was the thing with spiritual being, on the rare occasion you could injure them with a significant amount of force but more often than not a none spiritual charged attack would do nothing more than annoy them.

Glancing over his shoulder, Harry saw that Karkaroff and the Durmstrang students had been woken by the sound of the battle.

 _Just great. Better end before they make this any worse._

Spotting the object of her obsession amongst the crowd of students, the Hollow made a move for Krum only for Harry to intercept "Bakudō # 4: Hainawa!" throwing his hand forward, he released a golden chain of pure energy, trapping the Hollow.

The Hollow struggled to against the binding spell, it was only a matter of time before she broke free, thankfully it lasted just long enough for Harry to stab his zanpakutō through her head.

With the Hollow dealt with, Harry sheathed his sword and turned to the still present visitors from Durmstrang. Karkaroff's face was red with rage at the damage done to his ship and was about to demand an explanation when Harry decided to bring the incident to a close, flashing the entire hall with his combat pass' memory replacer; leaving them asleep in the hall and allowing their minds to fill in the blanks.

* * *

The next morning Harry entertained Ron, and Hermione with the tale of the previous night's Bound Spirit, getting a laugh from the muggleborn witch while the Weasley boy scowled at the comparison.

"Guess it's a good thing you didn't get that autograph" Hermione laughed. "We'd hate to feed your Krum obsession."

"Bloody hell. Alright I get it!" said Ron, now blushing that famous Weasley red, embarrassed by the comparison between himself at the obsessed fan.

"Just goes to show, hero worship is unhealthy."

"I thought we learned that after we saw you with Lockhart" said Harry, now getting a laugh from Ron as Hermione muttered something that sound like "I wasn't that bad."

Feeling curious about the Goblet of Fire, the trio entered the entrance hall, finding about twenty people gathered around it, watching for possible champions. The goblet itself had been positioned in the center of the hall on what was usually the Sorting Hat's stool, surrounded by a thick golden circle.

"Hey, guys" Ginny called, greeting them from where she was speaking with a fellow third year girl.

"Anyone put their name in yet?" Ron asked eagerly.

"All the Durmstrang lot" the third year girl replied. "But we haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

The sound of laughter alerted them to the arrival of Fred and George joined by their friend Lee, who were rushing down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

"Done it" Fred said triumphantly, whispering to Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. "Just taken it."

"What?" asked Ron.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains"

"One drop each" said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand galleons between the three of us if one of us wins" said Lee, grinning broadly.

"I'm not sure this is going to work" Hermione cautioned. "I'm sure Dumbledore would've thought of this."

Fred, George, and Lee ignored her.

"Ready?" Fred asked the other two, quivering with excitement. "Come on, then- I'll go first."

"This should be good" said Ginny, watching as her twin brothers placed their names inside the goblet.

After nothing happened Harry and the others were beginning to think that it had worked; the twins certainly thought so as they leapt into the air, letting out cries of victory. But suddenly there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle, landing painfully ten feet away on the cold stone floor, both of them now sporting identical long white beards.

The entrance hall rang with laughter. Even the Weasley Twins joined in, once they'd gotten back on their feet and had a good look at each other.

"I did warn you" said an amused Dumbledore, coming out of the great hall. His eyes twinkled as he took in Fred and George's newly grown facial hair. "I suggest you both go to Madam Pomfrey. She is already attending to Ms. Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards are as fine as yours"

Fred and George took off for the hospital wing, accompanied by the still laughing Lee. Dumbledore's eyes then lost their twinkle as they focused on Harry, it looked as if the headmaster wanted to say something but the boy wouldn't hear it. Instead Harry just turned and walked outside without a word, followed closely by his friends.

* * *

"You ok, Harry?" asked Ginny, once she Ron, and Hermione had caught up to boy-who-lived.

"Yeah" Harry sighed, taking a calming breath. "Let's go visit Hagrid. We haven't been to see him for a while."

It wasn't exactly the subtlest way to change the subject but his friends had chosen to go along with it and for that Harry was grateful.

As they neared Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest they spotted the Beauxbatons' carriage not far from their friend's front door.

"Don't look now, but Ron's got his stupid face on again" said Ginny, pointing to her brother who was currently staring at the Veela girl as she entering the carriage alongside her fellow students.

"Guess now we know where they're staying" said Harry.

"Great now let's go before Ron finds a new obsession" said Hermione, dragging the Weasley boy the rest of the way by the arm.

Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, and Fang's booming barks answered immediately.

"Bout time" said Hagrid, flinging his door open. "Thought you lot had forgotten where I live!"

"Sorry, we've been really busy, Hag…." Hermione stopped dead, looking up at Hagrid, apparently lost for words.

Hagrid was wearing his best (and very horrible) hairy brown suit, together with a checkered yellow and orange tie, to complete the outfit. This wasn't the worst of it, though; he had evidently tried to tame his hair, using a large amount of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now bunched up into what looked like an attempt at a ponytail, but it seemed he had too much hair. The look really didn't suit Hagrid at all.

"Um…where are the skrewts?" Hermione asked, obviously deciding not to comment on Hagrid's appearance.

"Out by the pumpkin patch" the half giant said happily. "They're getting massive, must be nearly three feet long now. Only trouble is, they've started killing each other."

"Oh no, really?" said Ginny, speaking up before Ron, who looked like he was about to say something, could comment on Hagrid's odd hair.

"Yeah" Hagrid sighed. "It's ok, though, I've got them in separate boxes now. Still got about twenty."

"Well, that's lucky" Ron said sarcastically.

Completely missing Ron's sarcasm, Hagrid let them inside his cabin, letting them take seats at his table. Hagrid soon served them tea and the conversation quickly turned to the Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid seemed as excited about it as they were.

"Just you wait" he grinned. "You just wait. You're going to see some stuff you've never seen before. First task-ah, but I'm not supposed to say."

"Go on, Hagrid!" the children urged, but Hagrid wouldn't budge.

"Don't want to spoil it for you. But it's going to be spectacular, I'll tell you that. Them champions are going to have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live to see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"

They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn't eat much. They did enjoy trying to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, speculating which entrants were likely to be selected as champions, and wondering whether or not Fred and George were beardless yet. And of course Hagrid mentioned how he'd spent the morning helping to repair the damages to the Durmstrang ship after Harry's battle the previous night. Apparently they all thought the hole in Krum's wall was due to wood rot. Harry didn't even want to know how Karkaroff's mind tried to explain passing out in the middle of the hallway with his students. Though Ron came up with some interesting ideas.

Over all it was pleasant visit through there was a light argument between Hermione and Hagrid, after he said she should forget about trying to get the house elves wages, saying that Dobby was the exception to the rule and that the majority would see payment as an insult.

By half past five it as growing dark, and Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione decided it was time to head up to the castle for the Halloween feast- and more importantly, the announcement of the school champions.

"I'll come with you" said Hagrid. "Just give us a sec."

Hagrid then searched the chest of drawers beside his bed. Harry and the others didn't pay this any mind until a truly horrible smell filled the room.

"Hagrid, what's that smell?" Harry coughed, his eyes tearing up from the stink.

"Eh, don't you like it?" he asked, turning around with a large bottle in his hand.

"Is that aftershave?" asked Hermione in a choked voice.

"Err-eau de cologne" Hagrid muttered, blushing. "Maybe it's a bit much. I'll take it off, hang on…"

He stomped out of the cabin, they could see him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.

"Eau de cologne" Hermione said in amazement. "Hagrid?"

"And what's with the hair and suit" Harry questioned.

"Look!" said Ron, pointing out the window.

If Hagrid was blushing before, it was nothing compared to what he was doing now. Careful not to let themselves be spotted Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione peered through the window, watching as Hagrid spoke with Madame Maxime, who was leading her students to the castle. They couldn't hear what he was saying, but Hagrid was talking to Maxime with a rapt misty-eyed expression.

"He's going to the castle with her!" Hermione huffed. "I thought he was waiting for us!"

"Hagrid fancies her" Ginny realized, watching them leave with wide eyes.

"Well, if they end up having kids, they'll be setting a world record- bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton" said Ron.

"Let's just get going" said Harry.

* * *

The Halloween feast seemed to take longer than usual. Everyone was anxious to see who'd be the school champions.

At long last, the golden plates were cleared; the great hall fell silent as Dumbledore stood up. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expectant as anyone. Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. However, Crouch looked uninterested, almost bored.

"The Goblet of Fire is almost ready to make its decision" said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber- where they will be receiving their first instructions."

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore extinguished the candles around the hall, leaving the goblet's flames as the only source of light. Those very same flames then suddenly changed from blue to red as sparks began to fly from it. The whole room gasped as tongue of flames shot into the air; a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it.

The Hogwarts Headmaster caught the parchment and held it at arm's length, reading it by the goblet's light.

"The champion for Durmstrang" he read, in a strong clear voice, "is Viktor Krum!"

"No surprises there!" Ron yelled, as a storm of applause flooded the hall.

Krum rose from the Slytherin table, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff boomed, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The cheering died down as the second piece of parchment flew into the air.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her, Ron!" Harry shouted, as the Veela girl rose gracefully to her feet, shook back a sheet of silvery blonde hair, and swept between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"Look they're all disappointed" said Hermione, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.

"That's an understatement" said Ginny. Two of the girls who hadn't been selected had dissolved into tears, sobbing with their heads on their arms.

Once Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell over the hall once again; everyone was eagerly waiting to see who'd be Hogwarts champion.

Once more the Goblet of Fire released a tongue of flames into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!"

Harry was pretty sure he heard Ron say something, but it was drowned out by the cheers from the next table. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to their feet, screaming and stomping, as Cedric made his way past them, a large grin on his face, and headed into the side chamber.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore cried happily, as the cheering finally quieted down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count on all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real…"

Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking as the Goblet of Fire unexpectedly released another piece of parchment.

Seemingly automatically, Dumbledore caught the parchment. There was a long pause as everyone watched the Hogwarts Headmaster read the slip in his hands. Clearing his throat Dumbledore read out "Harry Potter."


	9. The Four Champions

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Harry just sat there stunned beyond belief, partially aware that all the eyes of the great hall were on him. There was no applause only a slowly building angry buzz. Prof. McGonagall practically leapt to her feet, passing Bagman and Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Dumbledore, who was frowning slightly.

Harry turned to his friends, ignoring the stares of their fellow Gryffindors.

"I didn't put my name in" Harry said blankly. "You know I didn't."

Ron and Hermione just stared blankly back at him, Ginny was the first to find her voice.

"I know you didn't" she assured him, while kicking Hermione and Ron from under the table.

"Yeah of course you didn't" said Hermione, glaring at the Weasley girl for the kick.

Ron took a little longer to finish processing things but before he could say anything, Dumbledore having finished speaking with McGonagall called out.

"Harry Potter!" he announced. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

Harry glared defiantly at the old man, suspecting that he had something to do with his placement in the tournament. He was about to refuse when suddenly he felt Hermione's hand on his back, nudging him forward.

"Go on" Hermione whispered. "Don't make a scene about it."

While he didn't like it, Harry had to admit she was right; he didn't want to have his personal issues with Dumbledore made public. There would be too many awkward questions. So reluctantly he got up and moved into the next chamber.

* * *

"What is it?" Fleur Delacour asked, as Harry entered the chamber. "Do they want us back in the hall?"

Apparently she thought he had come to deliver a message. Harry wasn't sure how to explain what was happening, he just stood there, looking at the three champions. The sound of scurrying feet from behind him, alerted Harry to the arrival of Ludo Bagman, who frantically took the boy's hand and led him forward.

"Extraordinary!" Bagman muttered, squeezing Harry's arm. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen…lady. May I introduce-incredible though it may seem-the fourth Triwizard champion"

Viktor Krum straightened up, his face darkened as he studied Harry. Cedric kept looking from Bagman to Harry and back again as though sure he must've misheard. Fleur Delacour, just tossed her hair, smiled, and said "Oh, very funny joke Mr. Bagman."

"Joke?" Bagman repeated, bewildered. "No, no, not at all! Harry Potter's name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"

"But evidently there has been a mistake" she said contemptuously. "He cannot compete. He is too young."

"Well….it is amazing. But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name came out of the goblet…I mean, I don't think there can be any ducking out at this stage. It's in the rules, Harry will just have to the best he…"

The chamber door opened again and entered: Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Mr. Crouch, Maxime, and Karkaroff.

"Madame Maxime!" said Fleur, marching over to her headmistress. "They are say that this little boy is to compete also!" she glanced at Harry, as if just realizing what she said, looking almost frightened of the boy's look of anger at her choice of words.

"What is the meaning of this, Dumbly-dorr?" Maxime demanded.

"I'd rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore" said Karkaroff. "Two Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions. Or have I not read the rules carefully enough?"

"Impossible. Hogwarts cannot have two champions. It is most injust" said the Beauxbatons Headmistress.

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore" said Karkaroff, his eyes colder than ever. "Otherwise, we would've of course brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

"It's no one's fault but Potter's" said Snape, a malicious glint in his eyes. "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules. He has been crossing…."

"How about you just shut up!" Harry snapped, glaring at the potions professor. He was seriously tempted to personally feed the man to the nearest Hollow he could find.

"You arrogant little…."

"That's enough, Severus" Dumbledore said forcefully. "Harry did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"No." _The real question is: did you have anything to do with this?_

Snape made a soft noise of impatient disbelief.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" the Hogwarts Headmaster asked, ignoring Snape.

"No" Harry said heatedly.

"Ah, but of course he is lying" Madame Maxime cried.

"He could not have crossed the Age Line" Prof. McGonagall said sharply. "I am sure we are all agreed on that…."

"Dumbly-dorr must've made a mistake with the line."

"It is possible, of course" Dumbledore said politely.

"Dumbledore, you know perfectly well you didn't make a mistake!" McGonagall snapped. "Really, what nonsense! Harry could not have crossed the line himself, and as Prof. Dumbledore believes that he did not persuade an older student to do it for him, I'm sure that should be enough for everybody else!"

She glared angrily at the vindictive Snape, daring him to make another snide remark.

"Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman you are our objective judges" said Karkaroff. "Surely you agree that this is most irregular?"

Bagman wiped his face with his handkerchief and looked to Crouch for an answer.

"We must follow the rules" Crouch said curtly. "and the rules clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament."

"Well, Barty knows the rule book by heart" said Bagman, beaming and turning back to the two foreign headmasters, as though the matter was closed.

"I didn't put my name in!" Harry snapped, capturing the room's attention. "If anyone should complain it's me. I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Well then you've got a real problem, don't you, Potter?" said Moody, just now entering the room. "Awfully convenient isn't it?"

"Convenient?" Karkaroff questioned. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody?"

It was obvious to Harry that despite trying to sound disdainful, as though what Moody was saying was barely worth acknowledging, Karkaroff was terrified of the retired Auror.

"Don't you?" Moody said quietly. "It's very simple Karkaroff. Someone put Potter's name in that goblet knowing that he'd have to compete if it came out."

"Evidently, someone wished to give Hogwarts two bites at the apple" said Madame Maxime.

"I do not understand" said Fleur. "Why would someone else enter the boy? Why not themselves? It is an honor to be chosen. The honor for our schools! A thousand galleons in prize money! Many would die for this chance!"

"Maybe someone's hoping Potter dies for it" Moody growled.

The tension in the room grew at those words. Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious bounced nervously on his feet and said, "Moody, old man…what a thing to say!"

"We all know Prof. Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn't discovered six plot to murder him before lunch" Karkaroff said loudly. "Apparently he now teaches his students to fear assassinations too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore but I'm sure you had your reasons."

"Imagining things, am I?" Moody growled. "Seeing things, eh? It was a skilled witch or wizard who put Potter's name in that goblet…"

"What evidence is there of that?" said Maxime, throwing her hands up.

"Because they hoodwinked a very powerful magical object!" said Moody. "It would take an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm to fool that goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the tournament. I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school to make sure he was the only one in their categories."

"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody" Karkaroff said coldly.

"It's my job to think the way Dark Wizards do, Karkaroff, as you ought to remember."

"Alastor" Dumbledore said warningly.

Moody fell silent, satisfied by Karkaroff's now burning face.

"How this situation arose, we do not know" Dumbledore continued, now addressing the entire chamber. "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Both Cedric and Harry have been chosen to compete in the tournament…."

"What happens if I don't compete?" asked Harry. "I mean I didn't put my name in so I can't be bound to the contract. Right?"

"It's not that simple" said Mr. Crouch. "The Goblet of Fire only needs a champion's name in order to bind them. It doesn't matter if someone else was the one to enter them."

"As for breaking a magical contract" Dumbledore spoke up, taking over for Crouch. "it can have serious consequences. Including the loss of your magic or even your life."

While Harry was sure he could learn to live without magic again; he was far from ready to move permanently to the Soul Society. He didn't have a choice he'd have to compete.

Harry wasn't the only one unhappy about this as the two visiting headmasters glared at Dumbledore, Snape looked furious; Bagman however, looked rather excited.

"Well, shall we crack on then?" he said, rubbing his hands together, smiling around the room. "Time to give our champions their instructions. Barty, want to do the honors?"

"The first task is designed to test your daring" said Crouch, addressing Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor. "So we won't be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard.

The first task will take place on November 24th, in front of the other students and the judges. The champions are not permitted to ask or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tournament tasks. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempt from end of year exams."

* * *

After the explanation of the rules the champions were all free to return to their sleeping quarters. As they passed through the now empty great hall, Cedric decided to question Harry.

"So, how did you get your name in?" he asked.

Harry was about to once again deny placing his name in the goblet when he received some unexpected help.

"Did you not hear him before?" said Fleur, surprising the two Hogwarts students. "He said he did not enter himself in the tournament. Ne jamais remettre en question l'honneur d'un Dieu mort!"

Harry's eyes widened at the French girl's words. Cedric though just brought his hands up in a peaceful manner, stunned by the girl's angry tone and slip into her native language.

"Easy ok, I get it you believe him. You don't have to start yelling at me in French."

Cedric then took off on his own. While it did hurt that a stranger believed him and not a fellow Hogwarts student, Harry was too confused by the Hufflepuff's last statement.

 _French? But I heard English? This isn't like the Parseltongue thing is it?_

" _No it isn't"_ said Nakatsukasa, interrupting her master's frantic thoughts. _"All living souls are capable of entering the Soul Society and yet there are no language barriers. As a Substitute Soul Reaper this includes you."_

" _Oh right"_ Harry said sheepishly, he hadn't ever actually thought anything of all the different people he'd met in the Soul Society speaking the same language as him. He supposed it'd make sense that the afterlife wouldn't be concerned with such things.

Turning his attention back to the outside world, Harry saw that Fleur Delacour was still standing there, as if barely a second had gone by.

"So you know what I am" it wasn't a question.

"Yes and I apologize for calling you a little boy. I admit my excitement for being chosen had gotten the better of me" said Fleur. "I meant no disrespect. Though I do not believe Madame Maxime has noticed you yet."

"So how did you?" Harry asked.

"I am Quarter-Veela, I can feel who or what is effected by my allure. You are resistant but it is there slightly."

"Ok, so why did you defend me?"

"I was not sure at first but you insisted you did not enter yourself. I do not know why or how it is you have such powers. But as I told that stubborn fool: Never question the honor of a Death God."

With that Fleur walked off to return to her school's carriage. Leaving Harry behind to wonder if anyone besides his friends would believe him.

* * *

Harry wasn't sure what he expected when he entered the Gryffindor common room but it certainly wasn't a party. The whole of Gryffindor had gathered in the room, all screaming, applauding, and whistling at his arrival.

"You should've told us you entered!" said Fred, looking half annoyed, half impressed.

"How'd you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" George cheered.

"I didn't!" Harry insisted but no one would listen.

Everyone was certain that Harry had despite showing absolutely no interest in the tournament had somehow outsmarted Dumbledore and entered himself. Eventually using the excuse of going to bed, Harry managed to escape the party and climb up to his room, as fast as possible.

Entering his room, Harry was surprised to find Hermione, Ginny, and Ron all sitting around his bed.

"You believe me, don't you?" Harry practically begged.

"You already know I do" said Ginny.

"Of course we believe you" said Hermione.

"Now we just got to figure out how to keep you from embarrassing yourself" said Ron.

"Hey!" Harry laughed.

So what if none of the Hogwarts students believed him. The fact that his friends did made Harry think just maybe he could fight his way through this thing.


	10. Anger Management

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Harry couldn't help but be reminded of Lorene's warning about how quickly wizards would turn on him. It pained him to admit that she was right.

He had hoped that things would improve once everyone got used to the idea of him being a champion. But it was made clear that short of his friends, everyone thought Harry had entered himself into the tournament. Unlike the Gryffindors, however they weren't impressed.

Even the Hufflepuffs, who usually were on good terms with Gryffindors, had turned cold towards them. Feeling like he had stolen their champion's glory; a feeling worsened, perhaps, by the fact that Hufflepuff House rarely got any glory. Even Prof. Sprout seemed distant towards Harry during their last Herbology lesson, during which, a Bouncing Bulb wriggled free from his grasp and smacked him hard in the face, sparking cruel laughter from the Hufflepuff students.

As he, Ron, and Hermione headed to Care of Magical Creatures, Harry couldn't help but worry that Hagrid wouldn't believe him.

"Harry, don't worry I'm sure Hagrid will believe you" said Hermione. "I mean it's obvious you didn't enter yourself. Just from the look on your face when Dumbledore read your name. The only question is: who put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry, I don't think a student could've done it."

"So did you tell Sirius and Remus?" asked Ron

"No way" said Harry. "They'd just come down here and make a big fuss."

"They'd want you to tell them" said Hermione. "They're going to find out eventually."

"How?"

"Harry, this isn't going to be kept quiet. The tournament is famous, you're famous. I'm surprised we haven't seen anything in the Daily Prophet already."

"Ok fine, I'll write to them tonight" Harry sighed, he wasn't looking forward to this.

But as Harry worried about how he was going to explain himself, he failed to notice the pinched look on Ron's face. However, this wasn't missed by Hermione, who gave the Weasley boy a concerned look, to which he responded with a wistful smile.

In truth despite believing in his friend's innocence, part of Ron was jealous of Harry, if only for the simple fact that he still longed to distinguish himself from his older brothers. Honestly if Hermione hadn't spoken with him, he wasn't so sure if he would've been able to control his stupid jealousy. Watching Harry rely on them as his life line made Ron thankful he'd listened to her.

Reaching Hagrid's hut, the trio was forced to deal with Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins for the first time since Harry had become a champion. Predictably, Malfoy couldn't resist opening his mouth.

"Look boys, it's the champion" he said to Crabbe and Goyle the instant Harry got within earshot. "Got your autograph books? Better get one now, because I doubt Potter's going to be around much longer. Half the Triwizard champions have died; how long do you think you're going to last Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Crabbe and Goyle, started laughing like good henchmen, but Malfoy had to stop there, as Hagrid emerged from his home, balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class' horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the skrewts had been killing each other due to pent up energy. The solution being that each student would be taking them on a short walk.

"Take this thing for a walk?" Malfoy repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the string, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"Round the middle" said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Err-you might want to put on your dragon hide gloves as an extra precaution. Harry, you come here and help me with these big ones."

Hagrid's real intention, however was to talk to Harry away from the rest of the class. Waiting until everyone else had set off with their skrewts, Hagrid turned to Harry and in a very serious voice said "So you're competing, Harry. In the tournament. School champion."

"One of the champions" Harry corrected him.

"No idea who put you in for it, Harry?"

"You believe I didn't do it, then?"

"Course I do" Hagrid grunted. "You said it wasn't you and I believe you. Dumbledore believes you too."

Unfortunately, now days, it really didn't matter to Harry if Dumbledore believed him or not. In truth he wouldn't be surprised if the old man had or at least knows something about how he got entered into the tournament. But still, Harry knew how devoted to Dumbledore, Hagrid was so he thought it best to keep silent about his split from the headmaster.

Instead they watched as the now widely scattered class struggled against the now much larger skrewts. The creatures were now over three feet long, and extremely powerful. No longer shell-less and colorless, the skrewts have developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor. The looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs. Though they still didn't have a recognizable head or eyes.

"Looks like they're having fun, don't they" Hagrid said happily.

Once again, Harry thought it best not to say anything as it was obvious that his classmates were having anything but fun.

* * *

The next few days were some of Harry's worst at Hogwarts. Painfully reminiscent of his second year, when a large part of the school suspected him of being the Heir of Slytherin. It was only his friends' support that got Harry through the days. Nevertheless, it was still a question of how much more could he take.

The constant scorn from the other houses was starting to wear Harry down. It had already reached the point where it effected his spell casting. Just in his last Charms class, Harry did so badly that was assigned the Summoning Charm for homework-the only one aside from Neville.

"It's really not that hard" said Hermione, trying to be reassuring. "You just weren't concentrating enough."

"Gee, I wonder why" Harry said darkly. "I need a Hollow to kill."

"Huh, guess it's not listening mate" said Ron, looking at Harry's combat pass expectantly.

"Figures. Come on, we've still got Double Potions."

Potions was always a horrible experience, but these days it was nothing short of torture. Trapped in a dungeon with Snape and the Slytherins, all of them determined to punish Harry for daring to be school champion.

When they arrived they found the Slytherins waiting outside Snape's door, each of them wearing a large badge on the front of their robes. For one moment, Harry thought they were some of Hermione's S.O.M.E. badges- then he saw they all were marked in bright red letters:

SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY- THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION

"Like them, Potter?" Draco said loudly, as they approached. "And this isn't all they do-look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message vanished, to be replaced with another one, this one glowing green:

POTTER STINKS

The rest of the Slytherins followed suit, all howling with laughter, as their badges shined brightly around Harry.

"Oh very funny" Hermione said sarcastically. "Really witty."

'Want one, Granger?" said Malfoy, holding a badge out to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it you see; don't want mud-blood sliming it up."

Harry and Ron both moved to defend Hermione, each drawing their wands.

"Ron, Harry!" Hermione said warningly, as Malfoy drew his own wand backed by Crabbe and Goyle."

With Ron keeping the two gorillas in check, Harry squared off against the bouncing ferret himself.

"Go on, then Potter" Malfoy said quietly. "Moody's not here to look after you. Do it, if you've got the guts."

"Didn't need, Moody to beat your dad and his Death Eater pals" Harry countered.

For a split second, they looked each other in the eyes, then at exactly the same time they cast their spells.

"Furnunculus!" Harry cried.

"Densaugeo!" Malfoy screamed.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hitting each other in midair, causing them to ricochet. Harry's spell hit Goyle in the face while Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed, clutching his nose, where large ugly boils were springing up.

"Hermione!"

Ron hurried to her side, to see what was wrong. Harry turned and saw Ron pulling Hermione's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Hermione's front teeth- already larger than average were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver by the second. With her teeth already now past her bottom lip, she let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" demanded Snape, arriving on the scene.

The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations; Snape pointed a long bony finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir-"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry snapped.

"- and he hit Goyle, look."

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now looked like he'd been struck with a poisonous fungus.

"Hospital wing, Goyle" Snape said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" said Ron. "Look!"

He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth. She was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they'd now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled over with silent laughter, pointing at Hermione from behind Snape's back.

"I see no difference" said Snape, staring coldly at Hermione.

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran, ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

Harry and Ron turned on the potions professor, shouting every foul name they could think of. The hall echoed with the sound of their rage and Snape just stood there sneering at them.

"Let's see" Snape sneered. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of-ugh!"

Snape never got to finish his threat as Harry finally reached his breaking point. War drums pounding in his head, Harry focused all the spirit energy he could and fired at Snape "Hadō #1: Shō!"

Taken completely by surprise, Snape took the full force of Harry's kidō, blasting him far down the hall, landing in a painfully against the stone floor. The surrounding students just stood there, mouths gaping at the display of power. The Slytherins were even starting to worry that Harry would do the same to them.

Harry couldn't help but derive some sense of sadistic pleasure in watching the foul man, lay helpless on the ground, a victim to his power. As his anger continued to grow, he didn't notice that the sclera of his eyes were slowly turning black.

The sea of students split apart allowing Harry to pass as he approached the downed potions professor. Grabbing Snape by the collar, Harry practically snarled his words. "I know what you are. I know what you've done. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me and my friends alone."

"Just like your father Potter, an arrogant little-ugh"

Harry released Snape's collar, leaving the man's head to fall painfully against the floor. He was considering hitting the potions professor with another, more powerful kidō, when Ron called out.

"Harry, we've got to find Hermione" said Ron, bringing his friend back to reality.

Harry's eyes cleared up returning to their natural color, leaving none the wiser about what had happened, as he joined Ron to search for their friend. None the wiser except, Yoruichi who had sensed another change in Harry's spiritual pressure.

Finding an empty classroom, Yoruichi transformed from her cat form back into her human form; she had a call to make.

"Yoruichi, how's it going?" Urahara greeted. "Were you just missing little old me?"

"More like I miss Tessai's cooking" said Yoruichi, smirking at her friend's subsequent comedic display of tears. "Ok enough playing around."

"Right" Kisuke agreed, his voice taking a much more serious tone. "So what've you got.

"No doubt about it, the change in spiritual pressure is definitely caused by Harry's emotions. More specifically anger, and I mean pure hatred. The kid even started to Hollowfy before his friend snapped him out of it. Just what the hell are we dealing with?"

"I can't be certain but I've got an idea. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't go out of control."

"Oh sure Kisuke, keeping a teenager's temper under control should be a piece of cake" Yoruichi said sarcastically.

"Oh I'm sure you can handle it" Urahara said cheerfully, much to her annoyance.

* * *

"Mate that was brilliant" said Ron, as he and Harry went in search for Hermione.

"Yeah" Harry said absently, in truth he wasn't sure what came over him. He knew he was angry, vengeful even but he never would've imagined acting on it. Then again given what he knew about Snape's role in his parents' deaths, Harry had to give himself some credit in not just finishing the hateful man himself.

It wasn't hard to guess that Hermione would be heading to the hospital wing; the only problem was they ran into some undesired company on the way.

"Harry, I was just about to get you" said Colin Creevey. "You're needed upstairs."

"Not now, Colin" said Harry, pushing past the third year Gryffindor.

"But Mr. Bagman wants you. All the champions have to go. I think they're planning to take pictures."

 _All the more reason for me not to go_ Harry thought to himself, not stopping even as Colin trailed behind them.

"So we're just going to have him follow us?" asked Ron.

"Or until he gets the idea" said Harry. "Whichever comes first."

Turns out they weren't going to reach the hospital wing as they ran into none other than Dumbledore, who had been on his way to the gathering of champions.

"Mr. Creevey, why don't you hurry along. I'll see to it that Harry makes it to the ceremony" said Dumbledore, sending Colin on his way. He then looked over his glasses at the still present Ron. "Mr. Weasley, I believe Ms. Granger would appreciate some company in the hospital wing."

Ron hated to admit it, but despite knowing what the headmaster had done to Harry; Dumbledore's status as the world's most powerful wizard intimated him greatly. Glancing at his friend for a sign, Ron was relieved when Harry nodded, signaling for him to leave. Still just before he was out of sight, Ron took one last look back at his friend, as if afraid Harry would get into a fight with Dumbledore.

Now alone with Dumbledore, Harry's temper started to boil as the headmaster stood before him, expecting him to follow obediently.

"I know about Prof. Snape" Dumbledore said sternly. "You cannot go around attacking members of the staff."

"I told you to keep your pet Death Eater away from me" Harry replied coldly, his sclera slowly starting to darken. War drums were starting to pound in his head, tempting him to unleash his power on the old wizard.

"Harry, I understand you don't agree with how I handled things with Ms. Ravencroft but she made her own choices."

"It's not our abilities but our choices that define us. I remember the line. So Dumbledore, how do your choices define you?"

Dumbledore was saddened by the bite in Harry's words. Yes, perhaps he could've tried harder to aid the girl he had indirectly made an orphan. But as far as Harry was concerned, couldn't he see that he only had the best intentions. Dumbledore thought Harry far too young to shoulder the truth and considered the boy's attitude as proof of this.

"Harry, all I've ever worked for was the greater good" said Dumbledore. "I am not your enemy."

"Like hell you're not" Harry said venomously. "Your choices define you right? How about your choice to blackmail Lorene's mother? Or how after failing to protector her, your decision to throw her daughter into an orphanage and never look back.

Oh and let's not forget how you've been using me. You kept Snape, the man that sent Voldemort after my family, out of Azkaban. You hid the prophecy from me. And isn't it strange that three first years managed to make it through the protections around the Philosopher's stone? How many other lies or manipulations are there? Is this fiasco one of yours too?"

It hurt Dumbledore greatly to have his actions judged in such a light. To have the young boy, he felt he was forming a connection with. Still he couldn't deny that Harry had spoken only the truth; yes, he deliberately led Voldemort to the Philosopher's stone in hopes of testing both Harry's character and Lily's protection. Yes, he hid the existence of the prophecy from him in order to spare Harry's innocence, as he hadn't believed him ready for it.

But he would not allow himself to be accused of a sin he did not commit.

"I did not enter you into the tournament" Dumbledore said honestly. "I promise you, Harry that I will do my best to discover the one responsible."

"Your best" Harry scoffed, his eyes now noticeably darker.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in question as he now took note of the change, though he knew nothing that what would cause such a reaction in a person, human or otherwise.

As for Harry the war drums in his head were louder than ever, calling for him to put an end to the Hogwarts Headmaster. But before he could even begin to focus his powers, Yoruichi, in cat form, hoped onto his shoulder, the cat's claws digging into his skin, distracting him from his anger.

 _That's right time to calm down_ Yoruichi thought to herself, watching as Harry's eyes and spiritual pressure returned to normal.

Dumbledore also noticed the change and for a moment considered questioning Harry. Though he was forced to realize that Harry would never openly tell him anything now. Deciding to perhaps look into it later, Dumbledore led the reluctant Harry to where Bagman and the other champions were waiting.

All the while Yoruichi couldn't help but question her decision to agree to this. _Keep a teenager's temper under control. Yeah this should be a cinch. It may be time for a change in tactic soon._


	11. Dragons!

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Dumbledore led Harry into a small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed to the back, leaving a large space in the middle. Three of them however had been placed end-to-end in front of a chalkboard and covered with a long velvet cloth. Five seats were placed behind the desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them, talking to a witch that Harry had never seen before.

Viktor Krum was standing in a corner, away from the commotion. Cedric was having a conversation with Fleur, apparently they'd moved past the quarter-veela's tongue lashing. Watching the French witch from the corner of his eye, was a potbellied man, holding a large black camera.

Bagman quickly stood up once he noticed Harry had arrived.

"Ah, here he is! The fourth champion. In you come, Harry, nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment."

"Wand weighing?" Harry repeated nervously.

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead" said Bagman. "This is Rita Skeeter" he added, gesturing towards the witch he was speaking with. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet."

"Maybe not that small, Ludo" said Rita Skeeter, eyeing Harry hungrily.

Her blonde hair was set in elaborate and curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles studded with rhinestones, and had thick fingers ending in two-inch nails, painted crimson, currently clutching a crocodile-skin handbag.

"I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" she said to Bagman. "The youngest champion, you know to add a bit of color."

"Certainly!" Bagman cried, though he quickly realized he didn't have the authority to give Harry's consent. "That is, if Harry has no objections of course."

"Actually that wouldn't be up to him" Dumbledore spoke up. "Mr. Potter is an under aged wizard. Surely you weren't expecting to interview a minor without his legal guardian present, Ms. Skeeter?"

Harry wasn't sure how to feel. One the one hand he didn't want to give an interview to the paper. On the other he didn't want to feel like he owed Dumbledore anything. Still he supposed right now the headmaster was the lesser of two evils.

"Of course not, Dumbledore" said Rita Skeeter, a slight edge in her voice. "I just wanted to give Harry here the chance to tell his story."

"I'm sure you do, Rita. But you still must have his guardian present if you wish to interview a minor" said Dumbledore.

"Yes of course. Speaking of stories; I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference."

"Oh I did. I found it to be enchantingly nasty. I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat."

Skeeter didn't look even remotely ashamed.

"I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old fashioned, Dumbledore and that many wizards on the street…"

"I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita" said Dumbledore, with a courteous bow and a smile, "but I'm afraid it'll have to wait until later. The Weighing of the Wands is about to begin."

Seeing that his fellow champions were all taking their seats, Harry moved to join them. As he approached he noted that the cat he had come to call, Felix had chosen to hop off his shoulder and slink back outside. Though Harry didn't think much of it; in truth the disguised Yoruichi wasn't sure if disguising her spirit energy would be enough to fool a veela's allure, opting for the better safe than sorry approach.

Once seated, Harry watched as Prof. Karkaroff, Madme Maxime, Mr. Crouch, Ludo Bagman, and Dumbledore all took their seats at the velvet covered table. He also noted that Rita Skeeter had settled herself in a corner, a slip of parchment spread out on her knee, with an acid green quill placed on top.

"May I introduce Mr. Ollivander" Dumbledore announced to the room, the champions in particular. "He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament."

Harry was surprised he hadn't noticed him sooner; there standing by the window was the elderly wand maker, from whom he bought his own wand three years ago in Diagon Alley.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.

Fleur swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed over her wand. The elderly wand maker, twirled her wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.

"Yes" he said quietly. "9 ½ inches. Inflexible…. rosewood…and containing…dear me."

"Yes a veela hair" Fleur confirmed. "It belonged to my grandmother."

"Yes" said Mr. Ollivander. "Yes I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands. However, to each his own, and if this suits you."

Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches and bumps; then he muttered, "Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order" said the wand maker, handing the flowers and the wand over to Fleur. "Mr. Diggory, you next."

Fleur glided back to her seat, smiling at Cedric as he passed.

"Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm, as Cedric handed over his wand. "Yes I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn. Must've been seventeen hands; nearly gored with his horn after I plucked his tail. 12 ¼ inches. Ash…pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition. You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night" Cedric grinned.

Sending a stream of silver smoke rings across the room, from Cedric's wand, Ollivander declared it fit for use. "Mr. Krum, if you please."

Scowling, Krum handed his wand over.

"Hmm, this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm mistaken? A fine wand maker though the styling is never quite what I…however…."

Ollivander examined the wand, turning it over and over before his eyes.

"Yes…hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" he looked to Krum, who nodded affirmative. "Rather thicker than one usually sees…quite rigid….10 ¼ inches. Avis!"

The hornbeam wand let out a gun like blast, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out from the end through an open window into the sky.

"Good" said Mr. Ollivander, returning the wand to Krum. "Mr. Potter."

Harry got to feet, walking past Krum to stand before the elderly wand maker. His eyes seemed to shine as he examined the boy's wand.

"Ah yes, how well I remember."

Harry could remember too. It seemed like a lifetime ago, back before he had awakened as a Substitute Soul Reaper.

On his eleventh birthday, he had entered Ollivander's shop to buy his wand. His faithful 11inch, holly, phoenix feather wand. The wand maker had explained that the feather in question came from the same bird that had supplied the core of Lord Voldemort's own wand.

Harry had never shared this information with anyone. Though his Soul Reaper work had become a big part of his life, he was still very fond of his wand, and as far as he was concerned its relation to Voldemort's wand was something it couldn't help. However, Harry really hoped that Ollivander wasn't about to tell the room about it. He had a feeling that Rita Skeeter would be all over it like a dog and its bone.

Mr. Ollivander spent much more time examining Harry's wand than anyone else's. Eventually, he made a fountain of wine shoot out from it before handing it back, announcing that it was in perfect condition.

"Thank you all" said Dumbledore, standing up at the judge's table. "You may all go back to your lessons now," he took a look at his pocket watch, "or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they're about to end."

Harry eagerly got up to leave, but the camera man jumped up and cleared his throat.

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" Bagman cried excitedly. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Err-yes, let's do those first" said Rita Skeeter, her eyes once more on Harry. "And then perhaps some individual shots."

The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone one else into shadow wherever she stood, and the photographer couldn't stand back far enough to get her into frame; eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her. Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl. Krum, who Harry assumed would've been used to this sort of thing, skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group. The photographer wanted Fleur at the front, but Rita Skeeter kept hurrying forward and dragging Harry into greater prominence.

The Daily Prophet reporter wanted to have individual shots done, but by that point Harry's patience was at an end; ignoring Skeeter's protests he left the room.

* * *

Harry entered the hospital wing, finding Ron sitting at her bed side.

"Mr. Potter, I'm not surprised" Madam Pomfrey commented, allowing him to join his friends. "Just keep it quiet, there are other patients."

She then stepped into her office, leaving the three on their own.

"How long did she say you'd be here?" asked Harry.

Hermione aware that her painfully long teeth, would prevent any attempts to speak, brought out a quill and parchment from her bag, and wrote down: _Tomorrow._

"That's good. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"I told her what happened" said Ron.

Hermione then started to write down how, Harry shouldn't have used his Soul Reaper powers to attack Snape. Apparently his kidō was powerful enough to break a few of the greasy git's ribs. Seeing the pleased look on her friend's face, Hermione started to write out an argument.

"No, Hermione. I'm not letting him hurt anyone else important to me" said Harry.

Dropping the subject, Hermione insisted that he and Ron head down for dinner. But before they could leave, Hedwig came swooping in through the window, a letter tied to her leg.

Harry held it out for them all to read.

 _ **Dear Harry,**_

 _ **Guess you can't seem to have a normal year. Afraid Moony doesn't know much about the Goblet of Fire. But as far as magical contracts go, it sounds like you're stuck. Which leads Moony and I to agree with Moody. This has Death Eater stink all over it. Moony and I plan to look into this. On that note, we need to talk to you face to face.**_

 _ **Make sure you're alone in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **of November.**_

 _ **Try not to worry too much about the first task. Just put on a good show. (Sirius! Harry just focus on getting through the tournament; it's not about putting on a show. – Remus)**_

 _ **Be safe,**_

 _ **Sirius.**_

* * *

Failing to get an interview with Harry, Skeeter was forced to write him off as a private person; making speculations that he was sealed off due to the grief of his parents' deaths. As annoying as this was, the lack of material forced her to put a bit more emphasis on the actual tournament, though she did misspell Viktor and Fleur's names, not to mention the fact she didn't even mention Cedric.

Obviously this didn't improve Harry's standing with Hufflepuff but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. Word had spread around the castle about Harry blasting Snape with some unknown spell, combined with what was reported about the World Cup attack, even the Slytherins were backing off for the moment.

The Saturday before the first task was a Hogsmeade visit, and Hermione, Ron, and Harry were enjoying a trip to the Three Broomsticks.

"You were right, I did need to get out of the castle" said Harry, enjoying his butter beer as he looked around the bar.

The place was packed, mostly with Hogwarts students but you could spot some of the foreign ones. Honestly it was a miracle that they'd managed to get themselves a table.

"Told you" Ron grinned. He and Hermione had seen how the other Hogwarts students and the ever nearing first task was stressing their friend out. Especially since Harry had decided not to use his Soul Reaper powers in the tournament, despite Ron's insisting it'd be a sure thing.

"Remember you're supposed to talk to Sirius tonight" Hermione reminded Harry, though it wasn't necessary he'd been eager to hear from his godfather and surrogate uncle since their last letter.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione" Hagrid greeted loudly.

"Hello Hagrid" Hermione smiled, while the boys each gave their own greetings.

Under the pretense of trying to hear them better, Hagrid leaned in close to the table, whispering so low that they could barely hear "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin."

Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice to you," winked and departed. The trio also left the Three Broomsticks soon after to walk around the village a bit more.

"Ok, that was weird" said Ron. "Why would he want you to visit him at midnight?"

"No clue" said Harry.

"Maybe you shouldn't go" said Hermione. "It might make you late for Sirius."

It was true going down to Hagrid's at midnight was cutting it close but Harry pointed out that he was normally patrolling for Hollows around that time anyway, so it really didn't make much of a difference. Hermione had to give him that given that Harry's powers made getting back to the tower a simple task.

So that night, Harry took a bit of a deviation from his usual patrol pattern and went to meet Hagrid in front of his cabin.

"Sorry to pull you away" said Hagrid, reminding Harry of the usual rule for magical creatures and those that carry their blood: 'Never interfere with the work of the Soul Reapers'

"Don't worry about it, Hagrid" said Harry, wanting to assure his friend that he didn't mind the break from work. "So what's up?"

"Got something to show you."

There was an air of excitement about Hagrid. He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. Though it looked like he'd forgone the use of axle grease, instead it appeared he made an attempt to comb his hair. Harry wasn't sure but he thought he could see bits of its broken teeth tangled in his friend's hair.

"What're you showing me?" Harry asked, worried that it'd have something to do with the skrewts. He had no desire to see how the already hostile creatures would react to his Soul Reaper form.

"Just stay out of sight and keep quiet" said Hagrid. "We won't take Fang; he won't like it."

Silently Harry took to the air, following from above as Hagrid first went to the Beauxbatons carriage. He watched as Madame Maxime stepped out, a silk shawl wrapped around her shoulders, took Hagrid's arm and walked down to the far side of the grounds, far out of sight of the castle.

Given that he had the advantage of being in the air it wasn't long before Harry spotted what Hagrid wanted to show him.

Dragons.

* * *

Shortly after his return to Gryffindor tower, Harry as agreed upon waited in the common room alone. And at one o'clock on the dot, the fire place flared as Remus and Sirius' heads appeared in the flames.

"Dragons!" Remus hissed, after Harry reported what he'd seen. "I guess now we know what Charlie was talking about on the platform."

"Dragons we can deal with" said Sirius. "But we'll get to that in a minute. There are things we need to warn you about."

"What?" asked Harry, wondering if their investigation had found anything.

"Karkaroff. He's a Death Eater or was if you believe him."

"What?" Harry couldn't believe it; it was as if the wizarding world didn't believe in punishing the guilty at all.

Unbeknownst to the three wizards, Yoruichi had snuck into the room, having noticed Harry's absence.

 _Oh great, he's getting worked up again_ she mentally groaned. Though it didn't seem Harry's anger had reached the point where he'd start to hollowfy, Yoruichi was prepared to act if needed; though she wasn't the only one to notice Harry's growing anger.

"Easy, Harry" said Remus, not wanting to let the boy get worked up. "He was caught and placed in Azkaban."

"Yeah" Sirius confirmed. "He was in there with me, but he got released. I'd bet everything that's why Dumbledore wants Mad-Eye at Hogwarts this year. Moody caught Karkaroff, bet he's there just to keep him in line."

"But why was he released?" Harry asked slowly, his temper coming back under control.

"He made a deal with the Ministry of Magic" the dog animagus said bitterly. "Said he'd seen the error of his ways, and then he named names…he put a load of other people in Azkaban in his place. He's not very popular in there, I can tell you. And since he got out, from what we can tell, he's been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his. So watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well"

"Ok…but are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the goblet? Because if he did, he's a really good actor. He seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop me competing."

"We know he's a good actor" said Remus. "He convinced the Ministry to set him free didn't he? Now we've been keeping an eye on the Daily Prophet, Harry, you really dodged a bullet not letting Rita Sketter write about you-"

Harry chose to keep quiet about the fact that it was in fact Dumbledore that had intervened.

"-Anyway, we've been reading in between the lines of what she's been saying in her last article. Remember how Amos reported Moody going nuts at the Ministry? Well before that he was attacked. At the time we thought it was a false alarm but now we're not so sure. If someone attacked Mad-Eye before he could reach Hogwarts, they probably thought he'd make things more difficult for them. No one would look to closely at it since Mad-Eye's heard intruders a bit too often. But that doesn't mean he can't still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had, not to mention Tonks' mentor."

"But why come after me? He already set himself up in another country?"

Sirius and Remus looked at each other, having a silent conversation before continuing.

"I've been hearing some very strange things" Sirius said slowly. "The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup. Someone set off the Dark Mark…and then- have you heard about the Ministry witch who's gone missing?"

"No."

"Bertha Jorkins, she disappeared in Albania, and that's where Voldemort was last rumored to be…and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn't she?"

"Yeah, but it's not like she's going to walk straight into Voldemort's hands, is she?" said Harry.

"Listen, we knew Bertha" Remus said grimly. "She was a couple years above us, and she wasn't very…."

"She was an idiot" Sirius said bluntly, getting a snort from Harry and glare from Remus for his tactlessness. "Very nosy with no brains. Not a good combination. She'd be easy to lure into a trap."

"Look we don't know anything for sure yet" said the werewolf, taking over from Sirius. "We just wanted to keep you in the loop and make sure you know to be careful. We don't know who entered you into the tournament. So it's best to proceed with caution."

"Exactly" Sirius agreed. "Now about this dragon, you got any ideas on how to deal with that short of using your sword and slaying it?"

"Not exactly" Harry confessed. "But I already told the guys I'm not using my Soul Reaper powers. It wouldn't feel right to use them in a wizarding completion"

Sirius looked like he was about to protest the handicap but Remus spoke up first.

"Harry it's very commendable to want to have some semblance of fair play. But promise us that if it'll save your life you'll use your powers."

"I promise" Harry agreed. "But what about the…Felix!" he complained as Yoruichi landed heavily into his lap.

Her reason soon revealed as a sixth year couple wandered into the common room, obviously looking for some privacy. With the Floo call forced to a close, a red faced Harry hurried up to bed. The entire time he couldn't help but feel as if the cat was laughing at him.


	12. The First Task

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

"There you are" said Harry, rushing towards Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who were in the middle of having a nice breakfast.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing, just hurry up."

Not eating, Harry waited until his friends finished the last of their meal, then practically dragged them out onto the grounds. Harry then told them about the dragons, and everything Sirius and Remus said, as they walked around the lake.

Though alarmed by the warning about Karkaroff, Hermione thought that the dragons were the more pressing problem.

"Let's just try to keep you alive until Tuesday evening" she said desperately. "Then we can worry about Karkaroff."

They walked around the lake three times, trying to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon. Nothing came to mind, so they retired to the library instead. Here they pulled down every book they could find that had the word 'dragon' written on it.

"Talon-clipping charms, treating scale rot, this for nutters like Hagrid who want to keep them like pets" Ron complained.

"Maybe we should try talking to Charlie" Ginny suggested.

"No" Harry said shortly. "It'd be cheating. He was one of the people at Hagrid's hut trying to tame the dragons."

"He could've mentioned he was visiting" Ron grumbled.

"He probably thought his presence would give away the first task" said Hermione.

The four continued to look through the mountain of books; Hermione whispering to herself as she read.

"Well, there are Switching Spells…but what's the point of switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that'd make it less dangerous…. Trouble is, like the book said, not much can get through a dragon's hide…. I'd say transfigure it, but something that big, you'd really have to hope, I doubt even Prof. McGonagall…unless…."

"Hermione" said Harry, gritting his teeth. "Would you mind keeping your thoughts in your head please? I'm trying to concentrate."

"Relax Harry" said Ginny, trying to calm him down. "We still have time."

"We have **two** days, Gin. I can't even pull off a summoning charm. How am I supposed to master a new spell in only two days?"

They hated to admit it but Harry had a point. Despite usually being good at picking up new spells, he still needed time to actually perfect them. Time they didn't have.

"Oh no, he's back again" Hermione groaned, as Viktor Krum slouched in, cast a surly look at them and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books. Ron looked like he was going to say something about the Quidditch star looking at them but Hermione had other plans. "Come on, we'll go back to the common room. His fan club will be here soon, twittering away and then we really won't be able to concentrate."

And it turned out Hermione was right, the moment they stepped out of the library, a group of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgarian scarf tied around her waist.

* * *

Monday morning came and Harry's nerves were a wreck. As he ate his breakfast in the great hall, he found it difficult to think of anything other than the tournament. But as he wondered if he'd actually end up a dragon's next meal, Harry realized that there was one champion that wasn't in the know, as he had no doubt that Karkaroff also found out about the task and warned Krum ahead of time.

As he, Ron, and Hermione got up to leave for their first class, Harry spotted Cedric leaving the Hufflepuff table.

"I'll see you in the greenhouses" said Harry, as he watched Cedric leave the great hall.

"Harry, you'll be late, the bell's about to ring" said Hermione.

"I'll catch up" he said dismissively, running off to catch up to his fellow Hogwarts champion.

"What's up with him?" Ron wondered.

"I think he wants to tell Cedric about the dragons" said Hermione.

"Yeah that makes sense." Admittedly Ron thought if his friend was going to be forced to compete, he might as well win. But Harry had always had a strong sense of honor and fair play.

* * *

By the time Harry reached the bottom of the marble staircase, Cedric was at the top, with a load of his sixth year friends. Not wanting to talk to Cedric in front of them, Harry followed from a distance. When he saw Cedric about to enter the charms corridor, Harry had an idea, taking careful aim with his wand.

"Diffindo!"

Cedric's bag split; parchment, quills, and books spilled out onto the floor.

"Don't bother" he said in exasperation, as his friends bent down to help him. "Tell Flitwick I'm coming, go on."

Just as Harry had hoped, Cedric's friends went on ahead. Slipping his wand back into his robes, Harry hurried up the corridor, now devoid of life save for him and Cedric.

"Hi" Cedric greeted, picking up an ink splattered text book. "My bag just split…brand new and all…"

"Cedric the first task is dragons" said Harry, catching Cedric by surprise.

"What?" he said, looking up in shock.

"Dragons" Harry repeated, speaking quickly lest Prof. Flitwick came out to see what was holding Cedric up. "They've got four, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them."

Cedric stared at Harry, perhaps trying to see if he could find any signs of deceit.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Dead sure, I saw them."

"But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know."

"Never mind that" Harry said quickly. He knew that Hagrid would be in trouble if he told the truth. "But I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now; Maxime and Karkaroff both saw the dragons."

Cedric straightened up, staring at Harry with a puzzled, almost suspicious look in his eyes.

"Why are you telling me?" he asked.

Harry looked at him in disbelief. He was sure Cedric wouldn't have asked if he had seen the dragons himself. But still he wouldn't let his worst enemy face those monsters unprepared, well maybe Malfoy or Snape.

"It's just fair isn't it?" said Harry. "We all know now we're on even footing, aren't we?" _Well as even as I can make it anyway._ Worst case scenario, he still had the option of using his Soul Reaper powers.

Cedric still looked somewhat suspicious when a familiar clunking noise caught their attention. Turning around they saw Mad-Eye Moody emerge from a nearby classroom.

"Come with me, Potter" he growled. "Diggory, off you go."

Harry stared apprehensively at Moody, wondering if he had overheard them.

"Uh, Professor, I'm supposed to be in Herbology..."

"Never mind that, Potter. In my office, please."

Harry followed him, wondering what would happen now. What if Moody wanted to find out how he had known about the dragons? Would he go to Dumbledore and tell on Hagrid, or just turn Harry into a ferret?

Harry stepped inside Moody's office, the ex-Auror closing the door behind them, before fixing both eyes on him.

"That was a decent thing you just did, Potter" Moody said quietly. This was certainly not what Harry was expecting. "Sit down."

Having visited the office under two of its previous occupants, Harry couldn't help but look around to see the changes done by the current DADA Professor. While Lockhart had the walls plastered with pictures of himself, and Remus would display a specimen of some interesting new Dark creature, he had procured; Moody had opted to fill the office with a number of exceptionally odd objects that Harry suspected were from his days as an Auror.

On his desk stood what Harry recognized as a sneakoscope, though much larger than the one Ron had gifted him for his birthday the previous year. In the corner on a small table stood what looked like an extra-squiggly, golden TV antenna, humming slightly. On the wall opposite Harry hung what appeared to be a mirror, but it wasn't reflecting the room. Instead shadowy figures were moving around inside it, none clearly in focus.

"Like my Dark Detectors, do you?" said Moody, who had been watching Harry closely.

"What's that?" Harry asked, point to the squiggly golden antenna.

"Secrecy Sensor. Vibrates when it detects concealment and lies…no use here, of course, too much interference; students in every direction lying about why they haven't done their homework. Been humming ever since I got here. Had to disable my sneakoscope because it wouldn't stop whistling. It's extra sensitive, picks up stuff about a mile around. Of course, it could be picking up more than kid stuff."

"And what's the mirror for?"

"Oh that's my Foe-Glass. See them out there, skulking around? I'm not really in trouble until I see the white of their eyes. That's when I open my trunk."

He let out a short, harsh laugh, and pointed to the large trunk under the window. It had seven keyholes in a row. Harry wondered what was inside, until Moody's next question brought him sharply back to earth.

"So found out about the dragons, have you?" said Moody. "It's all right" he assured Harry, having noticed the boy's hesitation. "Cheating's a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and always has been."

"I didn't cheat" Harry said sharply. "It was sort of an accident that I found out."

Moody grinned as he took a seat behind his desk, stretching out his wooden leg with a groan.

"I'm not accusing you, lad. I've been telling Dumbledore from the start, he can be as high-minded as he likes, but you can bet old Karkaroff and Maxime won't be. They'll have told their champions everything they can. They want to win. They want to beat Dumbledore. They'd like to prove he's only human."

 _Probably because he likes to act like he's some kind of god_ Harry thought bitterly.

"So got any idea how you're going to get past your dragon yet?" asked Moody.

"No" said Harry, wondering if the ex-Auror planned to give him some help.

"Well I'm not going to tell you" he said gruffly. "I don't show favoritism. I'm just going to give you some good, general advice. And the first bit is play to your strengths."

 _Play to my strengths?_ Harry wasn't sure about that sure he had a talent for DADA, extending even into his developing Soul Reaper powers. But outside of that his only real talent was Quidditch.

"I hear you're a talented flier" Moody continued. "So my second piece of general advice is to use a nice, simple spell that will enable you to get what you need."

* * *

After his talk with Moody, Harry finally had a game plan for how to deal with the dragon. But it all depended on his ability to master the summoning charm before the first task, the next day. So he, Hermione, and Ron found and empty classroom to work, only breaking to attend classes and meals as they practiced well into the night.

"Concentrate, Harry" said Hermione, holding out a dictionary as his target.

"What do you think I'm trying to do" Harry said angrily, frustrated by the lack of progress. "A great big dragon keeps popping into my head for some reason!"

"Relax mate, you'll get it" said Ron.

Harry was about to complain about how it didn't seem likely when the classroom door opened, to their relief it was simply Ginny.

"How's it going?" she asked, but before either Harry or Hermione could report his lack of progress Ron had a question of his own.

"What're you doing here?" he demanded. "You should be in bed."

"Don't start sounding like mom" said Ginny. "And if you must know; I got curious so I decided to see how it was going."

Hermione wanted to ask, how Ginny had even found them but then she remembered that she was the only one Harry had taken the time to teach how to actively search for spiritual pressures. Maybe once he made it through the tournament she and Ron could ask him to teach them too.

"So again: how's it going?" asked Ginny.

"Harry's still having a rough time of it" Ron said at last.

"He just needs to concentrate" said Hermione.

"I am concentrating!" Harry snapped.

"Try focusing on how badly you want something" said Ginny. "Accio Glasses!"

To Harry's surprise his glasses actually lifted themselves off his face and into Ginny's hand, leaving both him and Hermione shocked that she mastered a charm a whole year early.

"She's been helping me study" Ron explained, as his sister returned his best friend's glasses.

"Don't worry so much about the wand movements" said Ginny. "Just focus on how badly you want it."

Harry closed his eyes and tried to focus on how badly he wanted the dictionary. Focusing only on his desire for the book he held out his wand and whispered "Accio"

The dictionary flew from Hermione's hand and straight into Harry's stomach.

"It worked!" Harry cheered, ignoring the pain. "I did it!"

"It worked" Hermione and Ron said together, in a mix relief and exhaustion.

"Told you" Ginny smiled.

"Thank you" Harry said sincerely.

"No problem."

For a moment Harry and Ginny just stood there smiling at each other but the moment came to an abrupt end once Ron spoke up saying they should go get some sleep.

* * *

Harry had been so focused on learning the summoning charm that evening that some of his panic left him. It returned the following morning in full force. At least classes stopped at midday; not that he would've been able to concentrate anyway.

Harry couldn't help but feel oddly separate from everyone around him, whether they were wishing him good luck or hissing "we'll have a box of tissues ready, Potter" as he passed. Time just seemed to fly by until it that afternoon at lunch, Prof. McGonagall approached him at the Gryffindor table.

"Potter, the champions have to come down to the grounds now. You have to get ready for your first task."

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione each wished Harry good luck as he got up to follow McGonagall. As they left the great hall Harry noticed that he wasn't the only one feeling anxious. Prof. McGonagall was looking just as nervous as him.

"Now don't panic, just keep a cool head" she said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We've got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand. The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any less of you. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Though in truth Harry was feeling anything but.

* * *

While Harry and the other champions were gathering, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron hurried to find seats. The stands were packed and they couldn't help but grow more and more fearful as it got closer for the start of the first task. But then Hermione remembered something Harry had once told her.

"Hey remember when Harry was with Buckbeak?" said Hermione.

"Yeah he rode him, so what?" asked Ron.

"Buckbeak was confused about him. Harry said magical creatures like hippogriffs are highly attuned to the spirit world. Maybe the dragon will just leave him alone."

For a moment they all felt a lot better about Harry's chances of survival but then a voice they hadn't heard before cut that comfort to shreds.

"Hate to tell you this but that relies heavily on the magical creature's intelligence" said an unknown male voice.

To their surprise the voice had come from Felix the cat that had taken a liking to Harry.

"What you act like you've never seen a talking cat before."

"Bloody hell" Ron gasped, looking around to see if anyone else noticed the talking cat.

"Don't bother Ron" said the cat. "No one is even aware of us right now."

Upon closer inspection Hermione noticed that the air around them seemed to shimmer, almost like a mirage.

"What is this?" she demanded, as she Ron and Ginny now pointed their wands at they now suspected to be more than a cat.

"Well I suppose first I should say my name is Yoruichi, nice to meet you" she said casually. "Now why don't you just relax." Releasing just a small amount of her spiritual pressure, Yoruichi forced Ron, Ginny, and Hermione back into their seats, leaving them feeling as if they had the breath knocked out of them.

"There that's better" Yoruichi smiled. "Now as I was saying; Werewolves, hippogriffs, goblins, house elves, etc. all have some form of higher level intelligence. Not necessarily human level but still they can

I promise to explain everything after Harry finishes the first task. See you later."

Yoruichi then walked away, taking her kidō with her, and leaving the three magic users fearful for Harry's life should she have something sinister in mind. But those thoughts were soon forced to the back of their minds as Bagman rushed on to the stage.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!"** Bagman announced, his voice magically amplified. **"The objective of the first task is for each of the four champions to retrieve a golden egg. But I'm afraid it's not that simple. For in order to reach their goal, they'll have to get past a dragon!"**

Cedric, Krum, and Fleur each managed to retrieve their eggs, the now it was Harry's turn to face the challenge.

* * *

The crowd cheered as Harry walked out on to the field. Though this didn't even register for him; his focus was entirely on the Hungarian Horntail. He watched as eight wizards fought to drag the giant black dragon forward, its sinister yellow eyes glowing in the shadows of it holding pen.

Once the handlers were out of the way, the Horntail focused on Harry, making him wonder if his Soul Reaper powers would confuse it, just like with Buckbeak. Unfortunately like Yoruichi said intelligence was a factor.

Dragons are a very aggressive species, especially the Hungarian Horntail, opting to kill anyone or anything that it perceives as a threat or food source. Too bad for Harry he fell into the both categories, as his powerful aura actually made the beast more aggressive, releasing a powerful stream of fire.

Diving out of the flame's path, Harry raised his wand to the sky and shouted "Accio Fire bolt!"

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Harry heard it, his Fire bolt speeding through the air, coming to rest midair beside him.

Bagman made some sort of comment but honestly Harry couldn't be bothered to listen as he quickly mounted his broom and took off, soaring high above the enclosure, until the audience and even the dragon appeared to be nothing more than ants.

As flew through the air, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and freedom from his fears. It was strange in a way that he only truly felt in control of his life was when he knew he could just take to the air; regardless of whether it was with his broom or as a Soul Reaper, challenges just didn't seem so impossible when he knew he could touch the sky.

 _Ok Harry, it's just like catching the Snitch._ With this mindset, Harry scanned the Horntail's nest, spotting his golden prize amongst its' cement colored mates, safely snuggled between the dragon's front legs.

 _Ok time for some diversionary tactics._

Harry dived, the Horntail's head following him; he knew what it was going to do and pulled out of the dive just in time, swerving out of the way, just as it released a jet of fire.

" **Great Scott, he can fly!"** Bagman yelled as the crowd shrieked and gasped. **"Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"**

Harry soared higher in a circle; the Horntail was still tracking him; it's head revolving on its long neck-in accordance to Harry's plan to dizzy it.

Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, but this time he was less lucky. Though he missed the flames, the dragon's tail whipped up to meet him, injuring his shoulder as it knocked him off his broom.

The crowd gasped in horror as Harry fell, certain that the Horntail would eat him. But then to their astonishment he revealed one last trick up his sleeve; Harry transformed his body shifting from human to that of a jet black bid, a raven.

" **An animagus!"** cried an astonished Bagman, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. **"I can't believe it!"**

Sirius told Harry to put on a show and that's just what Harry planned to do. Using his smaller form's speed, Harry zoomed around the back of the Horntail, swooping down under the dragon's tail and through its legs.

Shifting the eggs around with his beak, Harry maneuvered himself next to the golden egg. The Horntail sensing the disturbance in its nest the dragon stood up to check, leaving Harry the opening he needed to clutch the golden egg between his talons and take off as fast as he could before the beast could notice him.

The crowd went wild, louder than it had been throughout the entire task.

" **Look at that!"** Ludo yelled. **"Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"**

* * *

Fast as they could, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny ran towards the first aid tent to find Harry, catching him just as he walked outside.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily. "You were amazing! You really were!"

"It was amazing" Ginny said ecstatically.

"How come you never told us you were an animagus?" asked Ron.

"Um because until a few minutes ago I wasn't" said Harry, laughing his friends' astonished expressions.

Sure he had been working with his dad during visits to the Soul Society and a few times at home with Sirius but that had been Harry's first successful animagus transformation.

"It seems you're the type that rises to the occasion" said Yoruichi, surprising them all with her sudden appearance.

While his friends trembled in fear, Harry couldn't help but stare in wonder as his mind tried to make sense of the fact a cat had spoken to them.

"You all heard…"

"Yeah Harry, we know" Hermione interrupted. "We just don't know what he wants."

"Well Hermione I did say I'd explain after the task, didn't I?" said Yoruichi. "So why don't we listen to Harry's scores and then we can have that chat."

Yoruichi led the way to the edge of the field. The judges were sitting in a both on the opposite side of the arena.

"It marks out of ten" said Ginny.

The first judge, Madame Maxime, raised her wand into the air. A long silver ribbon shot out of it, forming an eight.

"Not bad!" said Ron, as the crowd applauded. "Suppose she took marks off for your shoulder."

Mr. Crouch was next, awarding him a nine.

"Looking good!" Ron yelled, thumping Harry on the back.

 _Maybe Ron should be my coach_ Harry mused, noticing how seriously his friend was taking his placement in the tournament.

Dumbledore followed; he too awarded Harry nine points. The crowd was cheering even harder now.

Ludo Bagman's score came next…

"A ten?" Harry said in disbelief. "But I got hurt. What's he playing at?"

"Harry don't complain" said Ginny, now sharing her brother's enthusiasm.

And now Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand too.

"What?!" Ron bellowed furiously. "Four? You lousy, biased scumbag, you gave Krum ten!"

At Harry's questioning look, Hermione explained that Krum's attempt was sloppy resulting in the destruction of half of the nest's real eggs.

"What can you expect, when the headmasters are judging their own students" said Yoruichi. "Honestly I'm surprised the other two didn't score low as well."

Harry didn't care about the scores. He was just glad he wasn't a pile of ashes. It didn't hurt that it was more than just Gryffindors cheering for him. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that the entire school had sided with him once they saw what he and Cedric of course were up against; after all, Slytherins didn't like him on a good day. Nor did he believe this would be the last time they'd turn on him, it was painfully obvious by now how fickle they were, but he'd at least enjoy the peace while it lasted.

"Hey, Charlie!" Ginny called, waving to her brother as he came towards them.

"Hey Ginny, Ron" Charlie greeted, and nodding to Hermione before focusing on Harry. "You're tied for first place, Harry! You and Krum! Listen, I've got to run, I've got to send Mom an owl, I swore I'd tell her what happened-but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah, and they told me to tell you, you've got to hang around a few minutes…Bagman wants a word, back in the champions' tent."

With Yoruichi making herself comfortable in the grass and his friends basically left with no choice but to wait for him, Harry re-entered the tent and returned not long after, planning to tell them what Bagman said about the second task once things were settled with the resident talking cat.

* * *

Cautiously the four teenagers followed Yoruichi to a secluded area on the far side of the grounds out of sight from the castle and Hagrid's hut, even the dragon enclosure.

"I suppose I should start with why I'm here" said Yoruichi. "I'm sure by now you've noticed the uptake in Hollow activity these last few months."

"Yeah" said Harry, curious as to how a cat could possibly have anything to do with that. "But it's gone back down, hasn't it?"

"Afraid not. I've just been picking up the slack for you."

"Yeah right" Ron scoffed. "How the hell does a cat do anything against a soul eating monster."

Clearly his skepticism had overpowered any sense of fear Ron had toward Yoruichi, leaving Ginny and Hermione to watch anxiously for the cat's reaction. But to their surprise Yoruichi didn't seem bothered by it all.

"Well obviously I couldn't do it as a cat; I simply returned to my true form."

"Oh so now you're a transforming talking cat!"

"Obviously Ron" said Yoruichi, rolling her eyes. "Cat's don't talk."

Ron sputtered indignantly, struggling to form words, when suddenly the cat's body glowed as it started to change. Gone was the cat form that Harry had called Felix and in its' place was the woman that had saved him from the Menos Grande.

Harry wanted to demand to know who she was and why had she hidden herself as a cat. But first he'd have to find his voice as he too found that he couldn't speak.

Both Harry and Ron stood there transfixed by the sight of a very naked Yoruichi, both blushing a bright tomato red.

"Bloody hell" they finally breathed out, still mesmerized by sight before them.

"I always love to see people's reaction when I show my true form" Yoruichi laughed, amused by the boys' reaction. "Especially when the voice I use in cat form makes them assume I'm a man."

"Y-you're a girl" Harry squeaked.

"Yes and we had such a good time together didn't we Harry?" Yoruichi said teasingly, leaning into the boy, showing off the collar he placed on her. As well as giving him a good view of her cleavage. "Am I the first girl you've ever seen naked?"

Ginny and Hermione just stood to the side also stunned by the appearance of Yoruichi's human form. Though for very different reasons from the boys. But the sight of the Soul Reaper teasing the boys was enough to snap them out of it.

"Put on some clothes!" they yelled, getting another laugh from Yoruichi.


	13. Yoruichi

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Having had her fun, Yoruichi got dressed, allowing Harry and Ron to relax a little; though they probably would be dreaming about her for weeks.

"Now are you ready to listen to the rest?" asked Yoruichi, smirking at the still noticeable blushes on the boys' faces.

"Yes please continue" said Hermione, gritting her teeth, annoyed by the boys' reaction.

"Since the increase in Hollow activity seems to be centered around Europe, we've been slowly increasing our presence."

"But you were already here, waiting for me" said Harry, finally finding his voice.

"Yes it was thought that given your obligations as both a student and a Substitute Soul Reaper, it'd be best if you had some support" Yoruichi lied.

As former commander of the Stealth Force, Yoruichi knew how to fool just about anyone. Though it wasn't a total lie, she just didn't bother to mention the reason Kisuke wanted her there. Plus, her presence would leave it unnecessary to plant a reaper from the Gotei 13 and risk someone a little less subtle blabbing about the strange changes in Harry. It was best to wait until Kisuke actually knew for certain what it was.

"Now if we're done. Why don't we head back" said Yoruichi, transforming back into her cat form, she started to walk back up to the castle.

Satisfied for the moment Harry and the others followed after her though there was something that bothered the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"If you're here to help me, why hide?" Harry questioned.

"What I'm not allowed to have a little fun?" Yoruichi replied sarcastically, flash stepping away before Harry could think to question her further.

* * *

After sending off a letter to Sirius and Remus, letting them know that Harry had found a way past the dragon, along with his new status as an animagus, he and his friends started to head back to the Gryffindor Tower; on the way he explained what Bagman said about the golden egg, and that the second task would be held on the morning of February 24, and that the egg contained a clue to the task.

"You know you have to register yourself at the Ministry" said Hermione. "Everyone saw you transform; you'll get in a lot of trouble if you don't."

"Relax, Hermione; I asked Sirius and Remus to register me" said Harry.

"Great so let's go" Ron said impatiently. "I bet they've got a party started in the common room."

Sure enough, Ron was right. When they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells. There were mountains of cakes and pumpkin juice and butter beer on every surface. Lee had let off some fireworks so that the air was thick with stars and sparks. Dean had put up some impressive new banners, depicting Harry zooming around the Horntail, first on his Fire bolt, and then in his new raven form.

Wordlessly Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat down and helped themselves to some food.

"Blimey, this is heavy" said Lee, picking up the golden egg, that Harry had left on a table, and weighing it in his hands. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own" said Hermione. "It's in the tournament rule."

"Funny, wasn't he supposed to get passed the dragon on his own, too" Ginny whispered, her voice so quiet that only Hermione could hear her.

The Weasley girl smirked victoriously at the guilty grin on Hermione's face.

"Open it, Harry!" several people echoed.

With the entire room now focused on him, Harry silently accepted the egg back from Lee, digging his fingernails into the groove running all the way around it, and pried it open. But the moment he did, a loud screechy wailing, filled the room.

"Shut it!" Fred demanded, hands over his ears.

"What was that?" said Seamus, staring at the egg as Harry slammed it shut again. "Sounded like a banshee. Maybe you've got to get passed one of those next, Harry!"

"It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal" said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing…maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry."

"Percy in shower and singing?" said Ginny. "It'd be kinder just to shoot curses at them."

While George was enjoying his sister's joke at their older brother's expense, his twin approached Hermione with an offering.

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" Fred asked, offering her a plate with a grin on his face. Hermione looked suspiciously at the offering, expecting the worst from the infamous prankster. "It's alright, I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch out for."

Just then, Neville surprised everyone, including himself by transforming into a giant canary. It was the Weasley Twins' newest creation Canary Creams, thankfully even Neville himself found the experience funny as he joined in the resulting laughter.

It was nearly one in the morning when everyone finally went to their dorms. With no sign of Yoruichi in the room, Harry assumed she had decided to go out for the night, something he was very grateful for. The knowledge that he'd been sleeping in the same room as the beautiful woman, even woke to find her in his bed, even if he thought she was just a cat at the time, left Harry a little flushed.

As he went to bed, Harry's mind flashed back to when he opened the golden egg. Though no one else could make sense of it, he was able to hear its' words:

 _ **Come seek us where our voices sound,**_

 _ **We cannot sing above the ground,**_

 _ **And while you're searching ponder this;**_

 _ **We've taken what you'll sorely miss,**_

 _ **An hour long you'll have to look,**_

 _ **And to recover what we took,**_

 _ **But past an hour, the prospect's black,**_

 _ **Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.**_

For the life of him, Harry didn't have a clue as to what it meant. Sure the taking something he'd miss part was easy enough but he didn't have a clue as to where the screeching voice would normally be heard.

* * *

"Well doesn't this look like fun."

Rita Skeeter was leaning against Hagrid's garden fence, watching at the mayhem the skrewts were causing the students. December had arrived with biting chilling winds, making the already miserable creatures even harder to bear.

"Who're you?" asked Hagrid.

"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter" she replied, gold teeth gleaming as she smiled up at him.

"Thought Dumbledore said you weren't allowed inside the school anymore."

Rita acted as though she hadn't heard him.

"What are these fascinating creatures called?" she asked, still beaming widely at Hagrid.

"Blast-Ended Skrewts" Hagrid grunted.

"Really?" said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. "I've never heard of them before…where do they come from?"

Harry noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and his heart sank. Remembering how Hagrid had gotten Norbert, it probably wasn't legal. Hermione was thinking along the same lines.

"They're very interesting aren't they? Aren't they, Harry?" she said quickly.

"What? Oh yeah…ouch…interesting" said Harry, as Hermione stepped on his foot.

"Ah, you're here Harry!" said Rita, as she looked around. "So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite classes?"

"Yes" Harry said firmly. In the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't answer her but Harry couldn't help but speak up for Hagrid.

"Lovely, really lovely" said the reporter, before turning her attention back to Hagrid. "Been teaching long?"

Harry noticed her eyes traveling over to Dean (who had a nasty cut across his cheek), Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear.

"This is only my second year" said Hagrid.

"Lovely…I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experiences with magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these-err- Bang-Ended Scoots."

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," he said eagerly. "Err, yeah why not?"

Hagrid and Rita made arrangements to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later that week. Then the bell rang at the castle, signaling the end of the lesson.

"Well, goodbye, Harry" Rita called merrily to him as he, Ron, and Hermione set off towards the castle. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!"

* * *

"I've got a bad feeling about Hagrid's interview" said Harry, as they entered the castle.

"Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything, he should be fine" said Hermione.

The trio traded looks as they realized that was definitely something Hagrid would do.

"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore's never sacked him" said Ron. "Worst that'll happen is Hagrid will have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry…did I say worst? I meant best."

They all laughed, and went off to lunch, feeling more cheerful.

* * *

While Ron and Hermione were busy with classes, Harry decided to put his free period to good use and sought out Yoruichi, whom he found in the kitchens enjoying a feast from the house-elves.

 _Wow never thought I'd see someone eat more than Ron_ Harry thought to himself, watching as the thankfully clothed woman ate bowl after bowl of food. For a moment, he wondered if she hadn't noticed him enter, when suddenly she waved him over, gesturing for him to join her.

"So this is where you've been disappearing to" Harry said casually, politely refusing an offering of food from an elf, saying he had already filled himself at lunch.

The house-elves seemed to take pride in the fact that they had already taking care of his needs, well in advance of his arrival.

"Oh yeah" said Yoruichi. "Elves are some of my favorite magical creatures. They could stand to loosen up a little though."

The praise certainly pleased the elves as Harry noticed them beaming with pride, a few even had tears in their eyes. Though her 'loosen up' comment made Harry suspect that if she could Yoruichi would side with Hermione on house-elf civil rights.

"So what's on your mind?" she asked, already guessing that Harry sought her out for a reason.

"I was wondering, if you'd train me" Harry asked. He hadn't forgotten that he wasn't powerful enough to defeat the Menos Grande, if Hollows that powerful existed he needed to get stronger.

"You know you really shouldn't feel bad about the Menos" said Yoruichi, having guessed what was bothering Harry. "Gillians like that are strong enough to challenge Lieutenant class Soul Reapers. At your peak you're a fourth maybe third seat at best."

"Gillians? I thought it was called a Menos Grande?"

"Sorry, Menos Grande is just the umbrella term for high class Hollows and are further categorized into three classes."

Yoruichi then explained just what a Menos was. Menos are created when an ordinary Hollow's hunger grows so large Human souls aren't enough, at which point it begins devouring its' fellow Hollows. Drawn together by this mutual desire to consume each other, they eventually meld together to form a Gillian; the lowest class of Menos. The class that Harry had run into the night he first saw Yoruichi's human form.

What was truly frightening was that there were still two other classes beyond Gillian. The second class was called Adjuchas. Smaller than the Gillian class, more intelligent, much fewer in number, and vastly more powerful making them a challenge for even high level Soul Reapers.

Finally, the highest class the Vasto Lorde; roughly the same size as a human, extremely rare, and possess powers said to be above that of even the Soul Reaper captains.

Harry hated to admit it but the thought that creatures like that existed frightened.

"Thing is, Menos rarely leave Hueco Mundo: the world of the Hollows" said Yoruichi. "So you can see why, we're interested to find out what could've drawn a Gillian."

"Which is why I have to get stronger" Harry urged. "I don't know what's going on but if something's attracting the stronger Hollows, I want to, need to be able to do something."

For a moment, Yoruichi felt like she was talking to Ichigo, it seemed he and Harry both had a 'saving people' thing.

"Fine I'll train you" said Yoruichi. "I'll warn you now, I'm not an easy teacher."

"I'll handle it" said Harry.

Their conversation was then interrupted as the kitchen door opened revealing, Ron and Hermione. Harry had been so focused on their talk he hadn't noticed how much time had gone by.

"Harry? Yoruichi?" said Hermione, surprised to find them there. "What're you doing here?"

"Well I'm getting a bit to eat and he's asking for lessons" said Yoruichi, jerking her thumb at Harry, while she returned to her meal.

"Yoruichi's agreed to train me" Harry explained. "What're you doing here, Hermione?"

"I came to check on Winky" she replied.

"And she dragged me along" Ron added.

"Winky's here?"

That was when Dobby decided to literally pop in, having chosen to keep his distance while the two Soul Reapers were talking.

"Yes sir, Soul Reaper Harry Potter" said Dobby.

"Hey Dobby" Harry greeted happily.

Hermione had told Harry how the kitchen house-elves had been giving Dobby a hard time due to his free status and that he was getting paid. Those same elves were now staring at him in awe, unable to believe that one the deemed an embarrassment was being treated as an equal by something as illustrious as a Soul Reaper.

To the watching elves amazement, Harry let Dobby lead him by the hand towards the back of the kitchen, stopping in front of a brick fireplace.

"Winky, sir!" said Dobby, pointing to where the elf in question was sitting on a stool by the fire, drinking a butter beer.

Freedom clearly wasn't doing Winky as much good as it did Dobby. Her clothes were unkempt marred with soup stains and burns.

"Hello, Winky" said Harry.

"Harry Potter, sir" Winky slurred, before breaking into tears" "I sorry sir, that you be having to see such a pathetic disgrace of a house-elf. Winky is nothing but a failure to Mr. Crouch, her beloved master, and she let, she let, Winky cannot be saying but she failed Mr. Crouch."

"Would Harry Potter and friends like a cup of tea?" Dobby squeaked loudly, over Winky's drunken sobbing.

"Yeah sure" said Ron, as Harry was occupied with the crying drunk house-elf.

Instantly, about six house-elves came up from behind, each bearing a large silver tray laden with cups for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits.

"Good service!" said an impressed Ron.

Hermione frowned at him, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated.

"How long has Winky been here, Dobby?" asked Harry, as the house-elf handed around the tea.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby. "It is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult."

At this, Winky howled, as she started crying even harder.

"Dobby has been working at Hogwarts since summer" Dobby said happily, though his friends already guessed as much given his presence at the school during the Fullbringer incident. "So when Dobby finds out Winky has been freed too, I bring her to Prof. Dumbledore, sir, and Prof. Dumbledore took her on!"

At this point it was getting difficult to hear Dobby over Winky's tears had stopped for the moment as she returned to her drunken ramblings, going on about how she was a disgrace, and wondering how Crouch could possibly survive without her help.

"Winky" Hermione said firmly. "I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along just fine without you. We've seen him, you know…"

"You is seeing my master?" Winky slurred, her head bobbing as she struggled to remain sitting up. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

Dobby quietly explained that Winky was having trouble accepting that she wasn't bound to Mr. Crouch anymore, thus all the crying and drinking. Apparently butter beer had enough alcohol in it to effect an elf.

"Yes, he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament." Hermione explained.

Mr. Bagman comes too?" To their surprise Winky suddenly appeared angry at the mention of the other Ministry representative. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"

"Bagman, bad?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes," said Winky, her drunken state fueling her anger. "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying…Winky-Winky keeps her master's secrets."

It was finally too much for Winky as she fell off her stool, landing gently on the floor thanks to some last minute intervention from Dobby, before being carried away by some very embarrassed looking elves.

With Winky being taken cared of for the moment, Dobby started chatting happily about what he planned to do now that he was free.

"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter" he said happily, pointing to his bare chest.

"Tell you what, Dobby" said Ron, who had taken a liking to the elf. "I'll give the one my mom knits me this Christmas; I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?"

Dobby was delighted.

"We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you" Ron told him. "But it'll look great on you. Besides I owe you for getting us to Harry this past summer."

As they prepared to take their leave, Yoruichi mentioned that she'd meet Harry later about when they'd begin their training. Dobby walked them out as he had a small request of his own to make.

"Harry Potter…can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" he asked tentatively. Harry was surprised by the request given that he knew Dobby would visit Hermione from time to time, as the house-elves' representative in S.O.M.E.

 _Now that I think about it, I've never actually seen Dobby outside of an emergency._ "Of course you can" said Harry, and Dobby beamed.

* * *

"So how long have you known, Winky was here?" asked Harry, as they started to walk back to the common room.

"Not long, Dobby told me about it at our last meeting to discuss how to help abused house-elves" Hermione explained. "I hope Dobby can show her how much better off she is away from Crouch."

"She seems to love him" Ron said thickly, having started on a cream cake an elf had given him as they left the kitchen.

"Doesn't think much of Bagman though, does she?" said Harry. "Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?"

"Probably says he's not very good at his job" said Hermione. "And let's face it…he's got a point."

"I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch" said Ron. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor."

"Don't let Percy hear you saying that" said Hermione, smiling slightly.

"Yeah well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he? Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing tea cozy."


	14. The Unexpected Task

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"

Prof. McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday, and Harry and Ron both jumped and looked up.

It was the end of the lesson and the bell was due to ring any moment. Harry and Ron were having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the bac of the class. But of course nothing escapes their head of house's attention in her classroom.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age" said the professor. "I have something to say to you all.

The Yule Ball is approaching; a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for you to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above, although you may invite a younger student if you wish…"

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati nudged her hard in the ribs, her face scrunched up as she worked furiously not to giggle herself. They both looked around at Harry, Prof. McGonagall ignored them, which he thought was unfair, as she had just told him and Ron off.

"Dress robes will be worn" McGonagall continued. "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the great hall. Now then…"

Prof. McGonagall stared deliberately around the class.

"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to-err-let our hair down" she said disapprovingly.

Lavender giggled harder than ever, hand pressed against her mouth to stifle the sound. Harry could see what was funny this time; Prof. McGonagall with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she never let her hair down in any sense.

"But that does NOT mean" she went on. "that we will be relaxing the standards of what we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in anyway."

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

"Potter, a word if you please" Prof. McGonagall called above the noise.

* * *

Straight after classes, Harry was led by Yoruichi to the Room of Requirements, which had taken the form of a barren wasteland, dotted with large boulders and dead trees, leaving plenty of space for training.

While he was familiar with the places abilities, Harry found that he liked the room much better, when its' power wasn't leaking out all over the castle.

Harry soon found out that Yoruichi had a very different teaching style from anything he'd experienced. For example, she had decided to start them off by playing a game of tag, in order to better hone his flash step skills. Of course Yoruichi wasn't known as the Flash Goddess for nothing. Over the last couple of hours, Harry hadn't even come close to catching her.

Of course it probably didn't help that he was distracted by what McGonagall had told him about the ball.

"So you have to go to some dance. What's the problem?" asked Yoruichi, stopping to allow her student some time to catch his breath.

"The problem is I don't dance" said Harry. "And I need to find a date. I've never been on a date before."

Harry felt himself going red, as Yoruichi started laughing at his obvious discomfort.

"If you want I'll go with you." she said teasingly, smirking as Harry's face got even redder. "After all, you've already claimed me as your own."

Before Harry could even hope to stammer out a response, Yoruichi sent him flying with a sudden burst of spirit energy, and crashing through a boulder.

"What was that for?!" Harry demanded, only to be forced to dive out of the way as she came down on him with a literally earth splitting axe kick.

Harry was stunned not only be the display of strength but also Yoruichi's speed: to be able to cross an entire field in an instant. The very same speed that she was now using to once again catch him by surprise, dropping him to ground with a painful knee to the gut.

"You didn't think you'd just be chasing me the entire time, did you?" said Yoruichi. "Do not seek beauty in battle. Be ever mindful. If you wish to protect your comrades from harm, attack the enemy from behind. This is taught to every Soul Reaper at the academy."

Harry didn't like the sound of that. Attacking behind was a Slytherin tactic. He preferred facing his enemies head on, in an honest battle.

"If you don't like it then you must become strong enough to face any enemy" said Yoruichi, as if reading Harry's mind. "Be quick and decisive."

To make her point, Yoruichi brought her leg down in another axe kick aimed for Harry's head. To Harry's surprise, his body moving on instinct flash stepped out from beneath Yoruichi, dodging her attack, and countered with his zanpakutō.

"Not bad" Yoruichi smirked, catching Harry's sword with her bare hand. Oh sure she was taking it easy on the kid but she was still impressed by Harry's natural aptitude for combat, even if he wasn't fully aware of it yet.

Harry struggled to push forward but Yoruichi's grip on Nakatsukasa's blade was too strong.

"Ain-Soph-Aur!" Yoruichi's eyes widened in shock as Harry released the deadly energy wave at point blank range.

For a moment Harry was sure he managed to finally catch Yoruichi, only for her to fade away.

"What?" Harry gasped.

"Nice try" said Yoruichi, appearing behind Harry., knocking him to the ground with a quick burst of spirit energy.

To his credit Harry was quick to get back on his feet, though that last display showed him just how far he had to go. Yoruichi was able to dodge a point blank attack, moving so fast she left an afterimage.

It was the first time Harry saw a glimpse of what a captain class fighter looked like, and he found it to be truly frightening. And yet beneath it all there was a different sort of feeling that he couldn't place…at least not yet.

"Alright that's enough for today" Yoruichi decided, she could tell Harry was on his last legs. "I'm going to go raid the kitchen that friend of yours, Dobby is really warming up to me. You can go work on finding yourself a date."

Yoruichi then left the room in her cat form, laughing at the embarrassed Harry's reddening face.

* * *

Turns out finding a date wasn't as easy as Yoruichi implied. It wasn't that Hogwarts didn't have enough girls, far from it. In fact, it seemed the castle suddenly had more girls than Harry had ever noticed before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night.

"Why do they have to move in packs?" Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. "How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

"Not a clue."

Honestly Harry wasn't sure how to ask let alone who. Plus, he was still nervous about the idea of dancing, he'd never danced before in his life and didn't like the idea of his first time being in front of so many people.

"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble" said Ron, as if reading his friend's mind. "You're a champion. You're probably the youngest animagus ever. And you've beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you."

To Harry's amazement, Ron turned out to be right. The very next day a curly haired third year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her. He was so taken aback he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter. The girl walked off looking rather hurt, and Harry had to endure Dean's Seamus' and Ron's taunts about her all through History of Magic. The following day, two more girls asked him, a second year and (to his horror) a fifth year who looked like she'd knock him out if he refused.

"She was good looking" Ron said fairly, after he stopped laughing.

"She was a foot taller than me" said Harry, still unnerved. "Imagine what I'd look like trying to dance with her."

Hermione once said girls only liked Krum because he was famous. Harry couldn't help but think the same thing applied to him. It was bad enough that he had to open the ball; was it too much to ask that he at least get to go with someone that wasn't just looking to use him for fifteen seconds of fame.

Still even with the embarrassing prospect of opening the ball before him, life had definitely improved since he got through the first task. He wasn't attracting nearly as much unpleasantness in the corridors anymore, which he suspected had a lot to do with Cedric; who might have told the Hufflepuffs to leave Harry alone, in gratitude for the tip-off about the dragons.

Best of all there was no story about Hagrid in the Daily Prophet.

"She didn't seem very interested in magical creatures, to tell you the truth" said Hagrid, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked him about his interview with Rita Skeeter during the last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the term.

To their relief Hagrid had given up on direct contact with the skrewts now, and they were merely sheltering behind his cabin today, sitting at a table, preparing a fresh selection of food to tempt the deadly beasts.

"She just wanted to talk about you, Harry" Hagrid continued in a low voice. "Well I told her we've been friends since I to fetch you from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said. 'Never played you up in lessons, has he?' I told her no, and she didn't seem happy at all. You'd think she wanted me to say you were horrible, Harry."

"She's looking for an angle, Hagrid" Ron said wisely, as he deshelled salamander eggs. "She couldn't get at Harry before so she's going after people he knows. You were probably supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent."

"But he's not!" Hagrid actually looked genuinely shocked that someone could be so deceptive.

"She should've talked to Snape" Harry said grimly. "He'd give her the goods on me any day. 'Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school…."

"Said that did he?" said Hagrid, while Ron and Hermione laughed at Harry's Snape impression. "Well you might've bent a few rules, Harry, but you're all right really, aren't you?"

This brought a grin to Harry's face; he just found it difficult to stay upset in the half giant's presence.

"You coming to this ball thing on Christmas day, Hagrid?" asked Ron.

"Thought I might look in on it, yeah" Hagrid said gruffly. "Should be a good do, I reckon. You'll be opening the dancing, won't you, Harry? Who're you taking?"

 _Of course he had to ask me about that._ "No one, yet" said Harry, feeling himself going red again. Thankfully Hagrid let the subject drop there.

The last week of term saw students even more excitement about the Yule Ball from the students, making it difficult to teach. In fact, some teachers like Prof. Flitwick gave up trying; he allowed them to play games during his lesson on Wednesday, and spent most of it talking to Harry about the perfect summoning charm he used during the first task.

Other teachers weren't so generous. History of magic was as boring as ever, seriously tempting Harry to send off the ghostly professor. Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working to the very last second of their classes too, and Snape of course, was as miserable as ever. Staring nastily around them all, he informed them that he'd be testing them on poison antidotes during the last lesson of the term.

The Potions professor clearly hadn't forgotten about Harry sending him to the hospital wing, though it seemed Dumbledore must've told him to leave him alone, as Snape settled for simply glaring at the boy rather than directly antagonizing him. But Harry had a feeling it wouldn't last long.

"I swear he's evil" Ron said bitterly that night in the Gryffindor common room. "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying."

"You're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?" said Hermione, looking at him over the top of her Potions notes. Ron was busy building a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack. "Honestly I don't get you. You do all that extra studying with Ginny and yet you still slack off like this."

"It's Christmas, Hermione" Harry said lazily, rereading his copy of Flying with the Cannons for the tenth time in an armchair near the fire. "Besides it's just Snape. He'll just end up cheating us out of points anyway."

Hermione looked severely over at him too. "I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!"

"Like what?" Honestly it wasn't like Harry just wasted he's days away. He was training every day with Yoruichi, and he still dealt with random Hollow attacks, as she had made it clear that she was simply there for support and he was still responsible for the area. So he didn't see any harm in relaxing when he could.

"That egg!" Hermione hissed. "You still don't know what the clue means."

"Come on, Hermione. I've got till February 24th" Harry argued.

Harry had told his friends about the riddle inside the golden egg. Problem was Harry's ability to understand any language as his own was backfiring in that they didn't have enough information to solve the riddle.

"But it might take weeks to work out!" she stressed. "You're going to look like a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!"

"Leave him alone, Hermione" said Ron, as he placed the last two cards on top of his castle. "He's earned a break."

Suddenly Ron's card castle exploded, singeing his eyebrows.

"Nice look, Ron" Fred commented, as he and George took a seat at the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as their younger brother felt how much damage had been done.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" asked George.

"Why?" Ron asked suspiciously, not putting it past the twins to do something to the little owl.

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball" Fred said sarcastically.

"Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat" said George.

"Who do you two keep writing to, anyway?"

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too" said Fred, waving his wand threateningly. "So…you lot got dates for the ball yet?"

"Nope."

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate or all the good ones will be gone."

"Who're you going with, then?"

"Angelina" Fred declared, without a trace of embarrassment.

"What?" said Ron, taken aback. "You've already asked her?"

"Good point." Fred turned and called across the common room, "Oi! Angelina!"

Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.

"What?" she called back.

"Want to come to the ball with me?"

Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look.

"Alright, then" she replied, and turned back to Alice and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.

"There you go" Fred said to Harry and Ron. "Piece of cake"

He got to his feet, yawning, and said "We'll just use a school owl, George come on."

They left. Ron stopped feeling his eyebrows and looked across the smoldering wreck of his card castle at Harry.

"We should get a move on, you know…. ask someone. He's right, we don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."

"A pair of…. what, excuse me?" Hermione sputtered.

"Well you know" Ron shrugged. "I'd rather go alone than with-with say, Eloise Midgen."

"Her acne's loads better lately and she's really nice!"

"Her nose is off center."

Ron had shown many moments of personal growth as of late. Clearly this wasn't one of them.

"Oh I see" Hermione said stiffly. "So basically, you're going to take the best looking girl, who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"

"Err-yeah, that sounds about right" said Ron. Yep definitely not one of his moments of maturity.

"I'm going to bed" she snapped, and swept of towards the girl's staircase without another word.

* * *

The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress their foreign guests, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up creating the most stunning display, Harry had ever seen at Hogwarts. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the marble staircase's banisters; the usual twelve trees in the great hall were decked with everything from shining holly berries to real hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them.

And still Harry and Ron didn't have any dates, and were starting to get nervous. Though Harry did point out, Ron would look much less stupid than he would without a partner; he was supposed to be starting the dance with the other champions.

"Suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle" Harry said gloomily, referring to the ghost who haunted the girl's toilets on the second floor. It wasn't like he couldn't actually touch spirits, though he might get a few looks when ghost doesn't pass through him.

"Harry, we've just got to grit our teeth and do it" said Ron on Friday morning, sounding like they were planning some dangerous mission. "When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners, agreed?"

"Err…okay."

It was easier said than done. Every time Harry even came close to ask a girl, he felt their eyes running over him, checking out the muscles he's been developing through his work as a Soul Reaper,making him too nervous and uncomfortable to ask. _Honestly I'm not a piece of meat._

He found it hard to concentrate on Snape's Potions test, and consequently received bottom marks. Harry didn't care though; he was too busy trying to calm his nerves. By that point he was considering just sending Mick in his place, though he knew that idea had way too big a chance of ending with the mod-soul beating someone up on the dance floor; sometimes Mick could be a little too protective.

That night after another rough session of training with Yoruichi, Harry returned to the common room to find an ashen faced Ron sitting in a corner with Ginny, talking to him in what seemed to be a low soothing voice.

"What's up, Ron?" asked Harry, joining them.

Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror on his face.

"Why did I do it? I don't know what made me do it!"

"What?" Harry didn't have a clue what Ron was talking about.

"He…err...he just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him" Ginny explained, looking like she was fighting back a smile, as she kept petting her brother's arm sympathetically.

"You what?" said Harry, now gaping at Ron.

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I thinking? There were people all around. I've gone mad, everyone was watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall; she was standing there talking to Diggory, and it sort of came over me and I asked."

Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking though the words were barely distinguishable.

"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then, I don't know I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."

"She's part veela" said Harry. "Her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Cedric and got a blast of it."

"Wasting her time then" said Ginny. "I heard he's going with Cho Chang."

"This is mad" said Ron. "We're the only ones left, who haven't got anyone-well except Neville. Hey, guess who he asked? Hermione!"

"What?" Harry gasped.

"Yeah I know! He told me after Potions but she told him, she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville…I mean who would?"

Some color came back to Ron as he started laughing, and to his shame Harry found the way he said it a little funny.

"Don't laugh" said Ginny, sounding annoyed. "Neville's a great guy and besides he's already found a date, he's going with Hanna Abbott"

That shut Harry and Ron up, as Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked, coming over to join them.

"Oh they just realized they might be the only ones without dates" said Ginny.

"All the good looking ones taken, Ron?" Hermione said loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, isn't she? Well I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere, who'll have you."

But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her for the first time.

"Hermione you're a girl"

"Oh well spotted" she said acidly.

"You can come with one of us!"

"No I can't" Hermione snapped.

"Oh come on" he said impatiently. "We need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got anyone, everyone else has…"

"I can't come with you" said Hermione, now blushing. "Because I'm already going with someone."

"No you're not" Ron denied. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh did I" Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has realized I'm a girl!"

And she stormed off towards the girls' dormitories again.

"It's just one step forward and million steps back with you isn't it Ron" said Ginny. _Honestly and he made so much progress last summer too._ "And she really is going with someone else."

"Who is it then?" Ron demanded.

"I'm not telling you, it's her business."

"This is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry and I'll just…I don't know."

Harry couldn't believe he hadn't thought about it before. Ginny was the first person he had told about his Soul Reaper powers, not Ron or Hermione, her. She was the one that helped him resolve his feelings about fighting Lorene. And she didn't hesitate to knock some sense into him when he was having problems with Nakatsukasa.

"Ginny, would you go with me to the ball?" Harry asked, now starting to feel strangely nervous.

Ginny stared at Harry like he'd grown a second head. He had asked her. Ginny couldn't believe it. She had come a long way from the shy mess of a girl that couldn't even speak when in the same room as Harry. And during their time spent together she had gotten to know him well, coming to like the real Harry far more than any boy-who-lived story. Yet she never once imaged that Harry would ever ask her.

"Yeah, I'd love to go with you, Harry" Ginny said at last.

"Great, so now what about me?" Ron complained, he still needed a date. "Hey you think I could ask Yoruichi?"

"No!" Ginny said quickly, getting confused looks from the boys. "I mean you've still got plenty of time Ron, why don't you try asking a student first. It would be hard to explain where Yoruichi came from after all."

Nothing against the woman but considering their first formal meeting involved her teasing her brother and Harry with her naked body, Ginny was afraid of what Yoruichi would do at the Yule Ball.


	15. The Yule Ball

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Snow was falling thickly upon the grounds. The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a large, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid's cabin, while the Durmstrang ship's portholes were glazed with ice, the rigging white with frost.

And through it all, Harry continued to perform his Soul Reaper duties, this time dealing with a rather stubborn Hollow that thought it a good idea to ruin what was starting to be a pretty good night for him.

The Hollow was green skinned with long grey hair, and two large spines extending out from its forearms.

Harry was discovering just how well those spines acted like blades, as the Hollow relentlessly pounded against his zanpakutō.

 _No way am I going to need saving_ Harry swore to himself, well aware that Yoruichi was most likely watching from somewhere, and he refused to let all the hard work he's been doing with her be for nothing.

So with a burst of strength, he pushed his blade forward, knocking the Hollow off balance, following up with a slash across its chest.

The Hollow howled as it stumbled back in pain before it could even hope to retaliate, Harry already made his next move, stabbing Nakatsukasa into the monster's chest, pushing it down towards the ground as the beast tried to force the blade out.

Impacting into a small crater outside the Beauxbatons carriage, Harry pulled back his zanpakutō as the Hollow finally gave into its injuries and passed on.

"An impressive display Death God" said Fleur, as she stepped out of the carriage.

"You know I'm not a god, right?" said Harry, sheathing his zanpakutō.

"What else can you call a being that rules death itself."

Harry remembered how he once assumed the Soul Reapers to be gods, even if he never considered himself to be one, he could understand why Fleur might feel that way.

"You know you really hurt my friend" said Harry, now remembering what he heard about the quarter-veela and Ron.

"Your friend?"

"The redheaded boy that asked you to the ball" he elaborated, this seemed to be enough as recognition flashed in the girl's eyes.

"Ah the boy that ran off. I apologize Death God. I was attempting to use my charm on Cedric and your friend was affected" she explained.

"I figured as much. But I was talking about looking down on him like he was beneath you."

Fleur took a small step back as if she anticipated some form of retribution. Her grandmother had told stories of the great and terrible power the reapers possessed and while the vast majority didn't take any personal interest in the affairs of the World of the Living; Harry would be an obvious exception to the rule.

"I am sorry about your friend" said Fleur. "Though try to understand that it can be rather annoying when people are only interested in what you are, rather than who you are."

"Believe me I understand what that's like" said Harry. "In the spirit of that, maybe you can stop calling me Death God?"

"Very well Harry."

"But if you find it annoying when guys are only interested because of your veela heritage, then why try to use your charm on Cedric?"

"Most of our party is female. This was the fastest way to find a date" she shrugged, apparently while she could find it annoying sometimes, Fleur didn't have that big of a problem using her allure for a quick fix. It made some sense in away considering she didn't know anyone outside of her schoolmates. "Though your friend did run off before I could answer him."

"So you were going to say yes?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Perhaps, but I won't promise anything Harry" said Fleur, turning to return to the carriage.

* * *

Harry thought it best to keep what Fleur said to himself. He didn't want to risk getting Ron worked up for nothing. Besides Ron was too distracted to worry about finding a date to the ball, specifically finding out Hermione's.

"Hermione, who're you going to the ball with?" Ron asked, as they were leaving the great hall the next morning.

He'd been randomly springing the question on her, hoping to catch her off guard and she'd answer without realizing. But Hermione merely frowned and said, "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me."

"You're joking, Weasley!" said Malfoy, from behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked **that** to the ball? Not the long-molared mud-blood?"

Harry and Ron both whipped, ready to make Draco pay for the insult against their friend, but Hermione simply waved to somebody over Malfoy's shoulder, and said "Hello, Prof. Moody!"

Malfoy went pale and jumped back, looking wildly around for Moody, but he was still up at the staff table, finishing his stew.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione smirked, and she Harry, and Ron went up the marble staircase laughing heartily.

"Hermione" said Ron, looking sideways at her, suddenly frowning. "your teeth…"

"What about them?" she asked.

"I just noticed they're different…I mean from before."

"Oh I had Madam Pomfrey shrink them a bit" Hermione smiled widely. "Mom and Dad won't be too pleased. You know they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should-look! Hedwig's back."

The faithful owl swooped down and landed on Harry's shoulder, a letter tied to her leg.

"Thanks girl" said Harry, removing the letter. "It's from Sirius."

 _ **Harry,**_

 _ **Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Bet whoever put your name in that goblet ain't feeling too happy now. I mean I couldn't believe it when you told me, an animagus at fourteen, you beat out your dad and me. I would've used a Conjunctivitis Curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point.**_ ("That's what Krum did" said Hermione.) _ **but your way was better, I'm impressed. I'm Sirius,**_ ("ugh" the trio groaned) _ **you just might be a better flier then your dad.**_

 _ **Anyway Moody's sleeping off a rough night, so it's up to me to be the responsible one and say: don't get complacent, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever entered you in the tournament's still got plenty more chances to try to hurt you. Keep your eyes open, particularly around you know who.**_

 _ **Keep in touch, we're still running down a few rumors on our end, but let us know about anything unusual.**_

 _ **Sirius.**_

"He's starting to sound like Moody" said Harry, stuffing the letter inside his pocket. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I was walking around with my eyes shut, banging into walls."

"But he's right, Harry" said Hermione. "You have still got two more tasks and you still haven't figured out the egg's riddle."

"Hermione, he's got ages!" Ron snapped. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"

Harry was about to agree to the game when suddenly Fleur Delacour approached the trio.

"I hope I am not interrupting" said Fleur.

Hermione couldn't help but feel a bristle of annoyance at the French girl's arrival. It only got worse once she realized that she was speaking to Ron.

"I was wondering if you were still interested in accompanying me to the ball."

Ron was stupefied, he'd gone from thinking he'd never be able to get a date to being asked by Fleur Delacour of all people. He was certain that he'd had to be dreaming and would be waking up in History of Magic soon.

Seeing that she was still waiting for an answer Ron managed to croak out a "Y-yes, yeah I'd love too."

"Good" said Fleur. "I will meet you in front of the doors before the ball."

As Fleur left she sent gave a look to Harry as if saying 'you're welcome,' leaving him to believe that the quarter-veela had chosen to go with Ron, simply as a favor to him.

 _Guess she thinks I'll owe her one._ It didn't seem either Ron or Hermione noticed the exchange as each of them were a little preoccupied: Ron was over the moon to finally have a date, while Hermione seemed to be bothered that that same date was Fleur Delacour.

Strangely despite now having his own date, Ron wouldn't stop wondering about who had asked Hermione to the ball and of course she wouldn't say.

 _Yeah probably best I don't say anything about it,_ Harry wisely decided.

* * *

Harry was shocked awake Christmas morning, as he a certain little house-elf had yet to learn the meaning of personal space, having chosen to lean in so close that they were almost nose to nose.

"Dobby!" he yelled in shock, scrambling away from the elf so fast he almost fell out of bed. "Don't do that!"

"Dobby is sorry, sir" the elf squeaked, ashamed that he'd upset his friend. "Dobby is only wanting to wish Harry Potter 'Merry Christmas' and bring him a present, sir! Harry Potter, did say Dobby could come and see him sometimes sir!"

"It's ok, Dobby" Harry gasped, calming down. "Just prod me or something next time, don't bend over me like that…."

Harry pulled back the curtains around his bed and put on his glasses. His yell had awoken Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. All of them were peering through the gaps in their own in their own hangings, heavy-eyed and with serious cases of bed head.

"Someone attacking you, Harry?" Seamus asked sleepily.

"No it's just Dobby" he muttered. "Go back to sleep."

"Nah.…. presents!" the Irish boy exclaimed, spotting the large pile at the foot of his bed.

Ron, Dean and Neville decided to open their presents as well, since they were already awake. Harry turned to Dobby, who was now standing nervously next to his bed, still worried he had upset Harry.

"Can Dobby give Harry Potter his present?" he asked tentatively.

"Course you can" said Harry.

Dobby handed Harry a small package, containing socks. Dobby had sewn him a pair of socks. The left was a bright red and had a broomstick pattern; the right was green with Snitches. They were definitely the strangest pair of socks Harry would ever own but he was touched that the elf had used the first of his wages to buy the wool to make them for him.

In return Harry fished out a pair of clean socks that he had picked up in London shortly after moving in with Sirius and Remus. The elf was overwhelmed with joy, especially once Ron added in his Weasley Christmas sweater and a pair of socks of his own so Dobby could mix them up.

"Sir is very kind!" Dobby squeaked, eyes brimming with tears, bowing deeply to Ron. "Dobby knew sir must be a great wizard, for he is Harry Potter's greatest friend, but Dobby did not know that he was also as generous of spirit, as noble, as selfless…."

"No big deal, Dobby" said Ron, blushing from the praise, though he looked pleased all the same. "Wow, Harry!" he had just opened Harry's present, a Chudley Cannon hat. "Cool!" Ron happily put on his head.

Dobby then had to take his leave, saying that he and the other elves were busy cooking Christmas dinner in the kitchens.

* * *

At last, it was time for what everyone had been waiting for since it was first announced: The Yule Ball. The castle was buzzing with excitement as everyone was wondering, what would the ball be like? Who'd be performing? Who was going with who? Rumors were flying about and it was finally time to see if the event was as grand as everyone built it up to be.

Hermione and Ron had each gone on ahead to meet their dates, leaving Harry to wait in the common room for Ginny. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little bit nervous given that all he had to fall back on was an impromptu dance lesson from Yoruichi.

Then came the moment of truth and Harry felt himself freeze where he stood, eyes wide, and for a moment thought he had to pick his jaw off the floor.

Ginny looked absolutely beautiful. Her dress was blue with silver lining around the neck, sleeves, and hem. Her long red hair was brushed into loose curls, that just shined in the light.

"W-wow, you look…wow" Harry said awkwardly.

"Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself" Ginny blushed, feeling just as nervous as Harry. "We should get going."

Harry didn't miss the threatening gestures Fred and George sent him but apparently neither did Ginny as she gave them the coldest glare she could manage, sending shivers down their spins. Proving once again it was the Weasley women that truly had the power in their family.

The entrance hall was packed with students, all milling around waiting for the doors to the great hall to be open. Those who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another.

The entrance doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Prof. Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party accompanied by a pretty girl in blue, Harry didn't recognize.

Then Prof. McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"

The crowd parted as the champions and their partners followed Prof. McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a wreath of thistles around her hat; she told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter once the rest of the students had sat down.

Fleur and Ron had been positioned nearest the doors; Harry wondered if Ron had noticed the particularly envious look Malfoy had shoot him as he and his date Pansy Parkinson passed. The smirk his friend sent his way told Harry he had, as they shared a silent laugh at Malfoy's jealousy.

Cedric and the Ravenclaw Seeker, Cho Chang were lined up next to them, placing them right next to Harry and Ginny. Speaking of Ginny, she had just bumped Harry with her elbow getting his attention.

Confused by the treatment, Harry was about to ask what was wrong when Ginny nodded her head towards Krum and his date, his jaw dropped.

It was Hermione. But she didn't look like the Hermione, he knew. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She also was holding herself differently somehow, though it could've just been the absence of the twenty or so books, she usually carried around.

"Told you" Ginny said teasingly to Hermione.

"I thought you were exaggerating" Hermione smiled, somewhat nervously. When Ginny had told her that nobody was going to recognize her, she had thought the Weasley girl was kidding, but it truly was a huge transformation from her usual style.

Harry wasn't the only one that couldn't believe the sight of the new Hermione, Ron despite having a quarter-veela for a date found that he could barely pull his eyes away from the girl. Strangely instead of being upset Fleur actually seemed intrigued by Ron's obvious approval of the Granger girl's appearance, though she suspected there was more to it than that.

McGonagall then called the champions inside. The entire room had been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling.

The House tables had been replaced with about a hundred smaller, lantern lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. Everyone in the great hall applauded as they entered and took their places at a large round table at the top of the hall, where the judges were sitting.

Dumbledore smiled happily at them, but Karkaroff looked as if he wanted scream and curse as he focused on Hermione and Krum. Ludo Bagman, who had opted for bright purple robes with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as the students; and Madame Maxime, who had forgone her usual black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding politely. But Mr. Crouch, Harry suddenly realized wasn't there. Instead the fifth seat was occupied by…

"Percy?" Ron and Ginny gasped, they hadn't expected to see this particular brother at the ball.

By poor luck of the draw Harry ended up sitting right next to the smug looking Percy.

"I've been promoted" he said before they could even ask, sounding as if he might as well have been named supreme ruler of all. "I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant and I'm here representing him."

"Why didn't he come?" asked Ron.

"I'm afraid he isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup" said Percy. "He's taking a well-deserved vacation and I've been filling in for him a lot recently."

"Why don't we enjoy our meal" Fleur spoke up, putting an end to Percy's rambling…for the moment.

They looked at their plates but instead of food there were only small menus lying in front of each of them. Dumbledore looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops" and pork chops appeared.

Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders with their plates too. Dinner passed fairly quickly: Hermione was having a pleasant conversation with Viktor. Fleur just went about criticizing the Hogwarts decorations while Ron pretended to listen. Sadly, Harry and Ginny were left to suffer Percy's self-indulgent ramblings about his job.

Once the meal was over, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. With a wave of his and, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, he then conjured a raised platform along the right wall, instruments already set up on top.

The band, that Ginny quietly identified as the Weird Sisters took their places on stage, the lights dimmed and Harry suddenly realized what was next.

 _Ok Harry, just like Yoruichi showed you_ , Harry thought nervously, as the champions and their dates moved to the floor.

"Harry, relax" said Ginny, having noticed his silent panic attack. "If we manage not to step on each other's feet, I'll call it a success."

Harry nodded as he placed a hand on Ginny's waist and held the other tightly in hers.

"See, already doing fine" Ginny said reassuringly, as the music started and the couples started to slow dance. Slowly Harry and Ginny fell into a comfortable rhythm as they swayed to the music.

The first song had ended but neither Harry nor Ginny really paid much attention, they just kept dancing as if the rest of the world didn't matter.

* * *

Ron sat down at a table with Fleur watching his sister and best friend, feeling an odd mix of happiness and brotherly protection, as he made a mental note to talk to Harry after the ball. His mood then rushed south once he zeroed in on Hermione dancing with Krum, he couldn't even explain why the sight bothered him so much but apparently someone could.

"It is because you love her" Fleur said casually, her French accent more prominent to Ron's ears.

"What?" asked Ron, thinking the girl's accent was throwing him off. "You know, Harry's the one that can understand everything right?"

"Well not everything, else he would've encouraged you to ask her, no?" the quarter-veela teased. "You clearly have feelings for that girl. You should ask her to dance."

"But she's here with Krum and I thought I was your date?"

"Yes so ask her politely, and we had our opening dance. I will dance with Viktor; you are too much like a kicked puppy to send the night with."

As glad as Fleur was that Ron wasn't drooling stupidly over himself, she somehow would've preferred that over being with someone that was obviously pining for someone else.

"But why help me?" asked Ron.

"I am part veela and French" Fleur shrugged. "Romance is in my blood."

Before Ron could even ask what they were doing, Fleur dragged him over to Hermione and Viktor.

"Mind if we trade?" she asked them.

"Not at all" said Viktor, taking Fleur's hand as Ron took Hermione's.

Hermione fought back a smile as Fleur left with Viktor, unaware that Ron was having the same feelings.

Hermione smiled as they started to move along the dance floor, trying not to laugh at Ron's obvious discomfort.

"It's not that funny" Ron grumbled, apparently she wasn't trying hard enough.

"No, I'm sorry Ron" said Hermione, placing his hands in the correct position; it was clear that Fleur must've been the one leading during their dance. "So what happened with Fleur?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to dance with you" he admitted, summoning up his Gryffindor courage.

 _Now he says something smart_ Hermione mused, as she rested her head against his chest, just swaying to the music.

But all too soon for Ron's liking, Viktor returned and took back Hermione as the next song started playing.

"It appears you have some competition" Fleur commented, as Ron joined her back at their table. "Still you did get to dance with her, and I can tell she enjoyed it."

"Thanks" Ron said honestly.

"Do not mention it. I am betting on you two."

Somehow Fleur's confidence in Ron made him feel better about Hermione dancing with Krum; I guess if you can't trust a veela's advice about love, who can you trust?

Still just because she was rooting for Ron to get the girl, didn't mean Fleur wasn't going to enjoy the night. Something made very clear to Ron as she pulled him back out onto the dance floor; it was truly an example of international cooperation.

* * *

Later as the night started to wind down and the students began to step outside or return to their sleeping quarters, Yoruichi was standing watch, having told Harry she would take over his duties for the night.

She had already dealt with a few minor Hollows, when she sensed a spiritual pressure, faintly similar to Harry's during his brief moments of incomplete Hollowfication. Problem was she could still sense him inside the castle.

Shifting to her cat form, Yoruichi followed the spirit energy into the rosebushes, where she stumbled into an interesting meeting.

"…. don't see what there is to fuss about, Igor."

"Severus, you can't pretend this isn't happening!" came Karkaroff's hushed anxious voice. It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I'm becoming concerned, I can't deny it…."

"Then flee" Snape said curtly. "Flee; I will make your excuses. I however will remain at Hogwarts."

Suddenly the potions master, spun around wand in hand narrowing his eyes at Yoruichi. For a moment the Soul Reaper had considered simply knocking them both out before Snape could get a spell off and cause unwanted attention.

"I see I'm not the only one worried" Karkaroff remarked, as Snape put away his wand.

"I am merely cautious" said Snape.

Believing Yoruichi to be an ordinary cat, the potions master started walking back towards the castle with Karkaroff hurrying after him. As they passed, Yoruichi noticed the faint markings of a tattoo just hidden within the left sleeve of their robes. What truly interested her however was that the tattoos were somehow giving off however weak, the spiritual pressure of a Hollow.

 _Hope you had your fun Harry, because things are getting interesting_ Yoruichi remarked, as she decided it was time for another call to Kisuke.


	16. Rita Skeeter's Scoop

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Everybody got up late on Boxing Day. The Gryffindor common room was quitter than it had been lately, many yawns punctuating the lazy conversations. Hermione's hair was bushy again; she confessed that Ginny had helped her style it with a Hair Potion for the ball, "but it's way too much trouble to do every day" she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears.

"Nothing wrong with how you usually look" said Ron.

Harry wasn't sure what, but there seemed to be something different between Ron and Hermione. Still if it was something important he was sure one of them would tell him. Of course they weren't the only ones; Harry and Ginny had yet to talk about if whether or not they were going to give dating a try, deciding to put it off until after the tournament, lest it become another distraction for him.

"So, are you planning on visiting your parents?" Ginny asked Harry.

"Yeah, I'll be leaving for the Soul Society for the New Year" he replied.

"Well that just means you should finish your homework before you go" said Hermione, prompting Harry to groan in frustration.

So it was Hermione dragged Harry, Ron, and Ginny to the library to power through the mountain of homework assigned to them over the holidays. But it was all worth it once he finished and was free to enjoy visiting his parents.

* * *

But all too soon it was back to class and their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the new term. But when they arrived it wasn't Hagrid they found waiting for then, instead it was an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin.

"Hurry up, the bell rang five minutes ago" she barked at them, as they trudged through the still very thick snow.

"Who're you?" asked Ron. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Prof. Grubbly-Plank" she said briskly. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"What happened to Hagrid?" Harry practically demanded.

"Never you mind" Prof. Grubbly-Plank said as though she thought he was being nosy.

"I do mind though" he said hotly. "What's up with him?"

The professor acted as though she couldn't hear him. Grubbly-Plank led them past the stables where the huge Beauxbatons horses were huddling against the cold, and toward a tree on the edge of the forest, where a large and beautiful unicorn was tethered.

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. Many of the girls were awed at the sight of it.

"Boys keep back!" barked Prof. Grubbly-Plank, throwing out an arm and catching Harry hard in the chest. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it."

She and the girls walked slowly forward toward the unicorn, leaving the boys standing near the paddock fence, watching.

"What do think's wrong with him?" Harry asked Ron, once the professor was out of earshot. "You don't think a skrewt…."

"Oh he hasn't been attacked, Potter, if that's what you're thinking" Malfoy said softly, his voice laced with sadistic amusement. "No, he's just too ashamed to show his big, ugly face."

Draco smirked, handing Harry a folded page of newspaper from his robes.

Harry unfolded the page and read it with Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville looking over his shoulder. It was an article with a picture of Hagrid looking extremely shifty.

 **DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE**

 _ **Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that caused many raised eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody's well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence.**_

 _ **Mad-Eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates.**_

 _ **An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being "very frightening."**_

" _ **My friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm," says Draco Malfoy, a fourth year student. "We all hate Hagrid, but we're just too scared to say anything."**_

 _ **Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however. In conversation with a Daily Prophet reporter last month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed "Blast-Ended Skrewts," highly dangerous crosses between manticores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions.**_

" _ **I was just having some fun," he says, before hastily changing the subject.**_

 _ **As if this were not enough, the Daily Prophet has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not as he has always pretended: a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown.**_

 _ **Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during the last century. The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror.**_

 _ **While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa's son appears to have inherited her brutal nature.**_

 _ **In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who's fall from power; thereby driving Hagrid's own mother,**_ _ **like the rest of You-Know-Who's supporters, into hiding. Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part giants.**_

Harry finished reading and looked up at Ron, whose mouth was hanging open.

"How did she find out" he whispered.

But that wasn't what was bothering Harry.

"What's this crap? 'We all hate Hagrid!'" Harry spat at Malfoy. "Oh and let's not forget about him!" he pointed to Crabbe, "'getting a bad bite off a flobberworm? They don't even have teeth!"

Crabbe was sniggering, apparently proud of himself.

"Well I think this should put an end to the oaf's teaching career" said Malfoy, having obviously forgotten what Harry had done to Snape or believed himself untouchable in the presence of a teacher…he was wrong.

Harry didn't even bother using his powers this time instead laid Malfoy out with a brutal punch to the jaw. For a moment Ron wondered if Harry had switched places with Mick without him realizing as Crabbe in retaliation charged his friend only for Harry to grab the larger boy by the wrist and flip him over his shoulder. Clearly Yoruichi had been improving Harry's abilities at hand-to-hand.

"What is going on here?!" Prof. Grubby-Plank bellowed, having noticed the fight. "Potter to Prof. McGonagall's office now!"

* * *

Needless to say McGonagall wasn't happy to hear about how Harry had attacked two students, and ended up assigning him weekend detention: cleaning the trophy cabinets. But as he left his Head-of-House's office, Harry found that he didn't really care.

 _They got what they deserved_ he thought hatefully. Harry was soon drawn out of those thoughts as Yoruichi's cat form crossed his path.

"We need to talk" she said, leading him to the Room of Requirements, which had taken the form of their usual training area.

"What is it?" asked Harry, not really in the mood for a lesson at the moment.

"It's time I told you what's been going on…" Yoruichi explained that some point after his battle with Lorene, the Soul Society had detected Harry's spiritual pressure had been randomly and slowly changing to the point it now resembled a Hollow's whenever he got too angry. She had been sent in order to investigate to see if she could confirm and if necessary find the cause for these transformations.

 _I'm a Hollow_ Harry couldn't believe it. Not only had Yoruichi been lying to him but his mother hadn't even mentioned it during his last trip to the Soul Society.

"Your mom didn't know the specifics" said Yoruichi, as if reading her mind. "And the honest truth is your situation isn't like the previous cases of an inner Hollow, so those of us that do know the details didn't want to worry you over nothing."

"Well I still should've been told!" Harry snapped. "I'm turning into a Hollow; someone should've said something!"

"You're not turning into a Hollow" she insisted. "The incidents are too short for us to come to that conclusion. And the reason I'm telling you know is because it's been determined that other than perhaps some poor impulse control whatever this is isn't effecting you."

It took a while but eventually Harry was forced to begrudgingly admit that Yoruichi and whoever else knew about what was going on with him had a point: there really wasn't any sense in telling him about something that had no clue about and had so far proven to be relatively harmless. Still he'd feel better once they had something more concrete.

After all of this, Harry had opted to go a few rounds with Yoruichi; partially to blow off some left over steam from Malfoy and partially to prove to himself that he really was still himself. As expected Yoruichi had beaten him easily though she did say she was pleased with his progress.

After training, Harry decided to head to the common room. As he made the trip he decided to turn his focus inward wanting to discuss things with his zanpakutō spirit.

" _Nakatsukasa, did you know about the changes in my spiritual pressure?"_

" _No and that's what concerns me"_ said Nakatsukasa. _"For now it's probably best to trust Yoruichi to monitor the situation."_

" _Yeah I guess that's all we can do."_

* * *

Harry's concerns over his shifting spirit energy were soon forgotten in favor those over Hagrid, entering the Gryffindor common room just in time to hear his housemates discussing Prof. Grubbly-Plank's performance.

"I hope she stays, that woman!" said Parvai Patil. "That's what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like, proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters."

"What about Hagrid?" Ginny spoke up.

"What about him" she said dismissively. "He can still be gamekeeper. Let's face it he just isn't a good teacher. I mean ever lesson's something's nearly killed someone."

"That's not true" Harry argued, making his presence known. "What about Buckbeak? He never hurt anyone."

"Only because Hagrid stepped in" said Lavender Brown, backing up her best friend. "That Hippogriff was still trying to go for Malfoy."

"Didn't know you had a thing for the ferret" said Ron.

"Oh please, you lot are only mad because your chummy with Hagrid" another Gryffindor accused. "Bet you knew all about him being half-giant too!"

"So what if we did!" Hermione snapped. "This is Hagrid, he's one of the nicest people you'll find anywhere, and you're letting that horrible Skeeter woman tell you, how you should feel about him!"

In the end there was a divide in Gryffindor House with some saying they didn't want Hagrid as a teacher anymore while the other (mostly S.O.M.E members) argued that the half-giant at least truly knew his subject matter, stating the numerous creatures (minus the skrewts) that Hagrid had successfully taught on the previous year.

Apparently Harry wasn't the only one the students' opinions were fickle over. Still Hagrid was a friend and they were worried about him, so after dinner Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny decided to head down to Hagrid's hut to check on him.

But to no avail, Harry could sense him inside the cabin but Hagrid refused to respond to their calls. So it was over the next week Harry and his friends would visit Hagrid's hut but each time their large friend refused to come to the door.

"I just don't get why he'd hide from us" said Harry, as he, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron sat around a table at the Three Broomsticks that Saturday. "You know, I really thought he'd at least come to Hogsmeade."

"He's hurting" said Hermione. "He probably thinks everyone will turn on him because everyone knows about him now."

"I just don't get what's the big deal" at this Harry turned to Ron and Ginny, relying on the two wizard raised members of their group to explain.

"It's not a problem if you actually know Hagrid" said Ron. "But the thing is Skeeter didn't make up that bit about giants during the war with You-Know-Who. So there really wasn't any love lost when they went into hiding."

Harry could appreciate that; he wasn't about to go around trusting Death Eaters just because they claimed to reform themselves (Snape) but he didn't think it fair to pass the crime down onto the innocent. Hagrid fought against Voldemort, he didn't deserve all the grief Skeeter's article was bringing him.

"Looks like Fred and George finally caught up to Bagman" said Ginny, breaking the table's somber mood. "Look"

It was true over at the bar they could see the Weasley Twins talking to Ludo Bagman about something. From the look on his face though it was obvious Bagman wasn't enjoying the conversation. While it was strange to see him at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event; what was even stranger was the party of goblins there watching him like a hawk.

Turns out Bagman wasn't blind to the goblins' presence as he quickly broke off from Fred and George and hurried out the door, with the goblins following closely after him.

"Any idea what's that about?" Harry asked.

"Fred and George made a bet with Bagman at the Cup" said Ginny. "I think they're still trying to collect their winnings."

"How come you know this?" asked Ron, getting a smirk from his sister in response. "Right never mind, forgot how nosy you were for a minute."

"It's not my fault you don't know how to ask the right questions."

"Thought the air smelt foul" Hermione suddenly said coldly, staring at the door.

Rita Skeeter had just entered. Purchasing their drinks, she and her photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione glared at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something.

". . . didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Showing them the sights . . . what nonsense . . . he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman . . .' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo, we just need to find a story to fit it."

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry said loudly.

A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.

"Harry!" she said, beaming. "How lovely! Why don't you come join…?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick" he said furiously. "What right did you have to do that to Hagrid?!"

Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows.

"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I'm merely doing my…."

"What truth?!" Ginny spoked up, adding her support to Harry. "You're an over glorified gossip monger. You get more facts from a chocolate frog card!"

The whole pub had now gone quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.

Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out the acid green quill she had at the wand ceremony, and said, "Well then why don't we get to the truth? How about it Harry? Give me an interview about the Hagrid you know. The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"

Hermione stood up abruptly, her butter beer clutched in her hand, hard enough it looked like the bottle would shatter.

"You horrible woman" she said through gritted teeth. "You went after Hagrid just because he was friends with Harry. You couldn't get at him before so you go after his friends."

It seemed Skeeter had finally run out of patience when it came to Harry and his friends, as she dropped the faked pleasant tone and adopted a more natural and cold voice.

"Sit down you, silly little girl. Do you have any idea who I am? I am the voice of the Daily Prophet and I won't be spoken too like this from two little trollops like…"

"Hey!" Harry and Ron snapped, accompanied by a powerful burst of power from the former. Harry was sorely tempted to crush the human stain before him but he remembered what Yoruichi had told him about poor impulse control from whatever was effecting him.

"Let's get out of here" said Harry, taking a calming breath.

The people cleared a path as they left; all staring as they went but too overwhelmed by an instinctive fear to say anything.

"She'll be after you next" Ron said to Hermione and Ginny, in a low and worried voice as they walked back up the street.

"Let her try!" Ginny said defiantly, her body shaking with rage. "We won't be bullied by that cow!"

"Exactly!" Hermione agreed. "And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should've never let that poor excuse of a human being upset him! Come on!"

Breaking into a run, she led them all the way back up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars, and up through the grounds to Hagrid's cabin. The curtains were drawn, and they could hear Fang barking as they approached.

"Hagrid!" Hermione shouted, pounding on his front door. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mom was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here, you're just being…."

The door opened. Hermione said, "About t….!" and then stopped, very suddenly, because she had found herself face-to-face, not with Hagrid, but with Albus Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon" he said pleasantly, smiling down at them.

Mindful of his grudge against the headmaster, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione took cautious glances at Harry wondering if he'd be able to tolerate Dumbledore while they were there.

"We came to see Hagrid" Harry said coolly, trying to keep from exploding at just the sight of the Oldman.

"Yes I surmised as much" said Dumbledore, the twinkle in his eyes dimming at the Harry's chilly attitude. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh . . . um . . . ok," said Hermione, still worried Dumbledore would set Harry's temper off.

* * *

Fang launched himself at Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears. Fending off Fang, he found Hagrid sitting at his table, with two large mugs of tea. He was a mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire.

"Hi Hagrid" said Harry, as he, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione joined him at the table.

Hagrid looked up.

"Hello" he said hoarsely.

Dumbledore spelled a tea tray onto the table along with a plate of cakes for the kids, before retaking his seat. "Did you by chance hear what Ms. Granger was shouting, Hagrid?"

Hermione went slightly pink, but Dumbledore smiled at her and continued, "Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Ginny have known about you for some time now. And judging by the way they were attempting to break down your door, I think it's safe to say they don't think less of you for it."

"Of course we don't Hagrid" said Harry, putting aside his issues with Dumbledore in favor of helping his friend.

"Yeah come back and teach" said Ginny.

"We really miss you" Hermione added, while Ron nodded in agreement.

Tears fell from Hagrid's eyes and fell into his tangled beard.

""Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," said Dumbledore. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it."

"Not all of them" Hagrid said roughly. "Not all of them want me to stay."

"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"

"You-You're not half giant."

"Hagrid, I'm not fully human either" Harry said furiously. "Think about it, I'm a Substitute Soul Reaper not the real thing. I'm basically a half-breed too. Do you think I should lock myself away?"

Ok so there wasn't anything genetically different about him from an ordinary human wizard, but Harry still thought he'd made his point.

Dumbledore stood up. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid. I expect you back at work on Monday" he said. "You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."

Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fang's ears. When the door shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into hands, with Hermione and Ginny patting is arms for comfort. At last he looked up, his eyes very red, and said "Great man, Dumbledore…great man…"

 _What so we didn't do anything?_ Harry thought miserably, but kept his peace especially after receiving a subtle look from Hermione and Ginny.

"He's right of course, you're all right" said Hagrid, wiping away his tears. "I've been stupid…my old dad would've been ashamed of the way I've been behaving." More tears leaked out, but he wiped them away more forcefully, and said "Never shown you a picture of my dad, have I?"

Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid's crinkled black eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid's shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth, he looked hardly older than eleven.

"This was taken just after I got into Hogwarts. Dad was thrilled…wasn't sure I'd be a wizard, cause of my mom…well anyway. I never was that great at magic really…but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see in my second year… "Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. Got me the gamekeeper job . . . trusts people, he does. Gives them second chances . . . that's what sets him apart from other heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, so long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren't . . . well . . . all that respectable. But some don't understand that. There's some who'd always hold it against you . . . there's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up and say: I am what I am, and I'm not ashamed. 'Never be ashamed,' my old dad used to say, 'there's some who'll hold it against you, but they're not worth bothering with.' And he was right. I've been an idiot. I'm not bothering with her no more, I promise you that. Big bones . . . I'll give her big bones."

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all traded looks having absolutely no idea what Hagrid was talking about. Their best guess would be that Hagrid was talking about Madame Maxime but Harry would rather take fifty Blast-Ended Skrewts for a walk than open that can of worms.

"You know what, Harry?" Hagrid said, looking up from the photo of his father, eyes bright. "When I first met you, you reminded me of myself a bit. Mom and Dad gone, and you were feeling like you wouldn't fit in at Hogwarts remember? Not sure you were really up to it…and now look at you, Harry! School champion!

He looked at Harry for a moment and then said, very seriously, "You know what I'd love Harry? I'd love you to win, I really would. It'd show them all, you'd have to be pureblooded to do it. You show them, Harry, you show them. Beat them all."

* * *

Later that afternoon Harry and the others made their way back up to the castle leaving behind a much happier Hagrid but halfway up the main staircase Harry heard someone calling him.

"Hey Harry!" It was Cedric Diggory. Harry could see Cho waiting for him in the entrance hall below.

Telling his friends, he'd catch up, Harry waited as Cedric ran up the stairs toward him.

"Listen . . ." Cedric lowered his voice as Ron and the others disappeared. "I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? Does yours wail when you open it?" "Yeah," said Harry.

"Well . . . take a bath, okay?" "What?" "Take a bath, and…err…take the egg with you, and just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think, trust me."

Before Harry could question him, Cedric ran back to Cho and the couple walked off.

 _Water…water…that's it!_

Harry ran back to the common room excited to report what he'd learned.

"Of course" said Hermione. "The egg said 'we cannot sing above the ground'. Water makes perfect sense."

"Ok so Harry has to find something he'd miss from underwater" said Ron. "But where underwater?"

"Well the only place I can think of is the lake" said Ginny.

"Just what I was thinking" Hermione agreed. "Most likely Harry will have to recover whatever he'll miss most from the merpeople in the lake."

"There are merpeople in the lake?" said Harry, surprised by the information.

"Yes the lake is home an assortment of creatures including the largest merpeople colony in England. I read about it in…"

"Hogwarts: A History" Ron, Harry, and Ginny said together.

Hermione rolled her eyes "Now the only question is how's Harry going to breath underwater for an entire hour?"


	17. The Second Task

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

With the egg's riddle solved, Harry was still faced a problem: how to survive underwater for an hour on the twenty-fourth of February.

After explaining scuba diving to him, Ron liked the idea of using the summoning charm again. He couldn't see why Harry shouldn't summon the equipment from the nearest muggle town. Hermione squashed this plan by pointing out that, in the unlikely event that Harry managed to learn how to operate scuba gear within the set limit of an hour, he was sure to be disqualified for breaking the Statute of Secrecy; as someone was bound to see scuba gear zooming across the countryside to Hogwarts.

"Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to transfigure yourself into a submarine or something" said Hermione. "if only we'd done human transfiguration already! But I don't think we start that until sixth year, and it can go horribly wrong if you don't know what you're doing."

"Yeah I don't like the idea of having a periscope sticking out of my head" Harry deadpanned.

"Well Harry, could always just attack someone in front of Moody" said Ginny "he might turn him into a fish or something."

The group shared a light chuckle as they remembered Malfoy: the bouncing ferret.

"Seriously though, I think your best chance is some sort of charm" said Hermione.

So once again it was back to the library. However, though they searched through their lunchtimes, evenings, and whole weekends. Went to Prof. McGonagall for permission to use the restricted section, and even asked the irritable, vulture-like librarian, Madam Pince, for help; they found nothing whatsoever that would enable Harry to spend an hour underwater and live to tell the tale.

The days before the second task ran down fast and before he knew it, it was the afternoon before the task. Harry sat with Ginny, Hermione, and Ron in the library, tearing feverishly through page after page of spells, hidden from one another by the massive piles of books on the desk in front

"This is hopeless" Harry groaned. "The only time these books even mention 'water' it's part of some recipe."

"I'm starting to think you should just go down to the lake tomorrow, stick your head in, and yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out" said Ron. "Best you can do mate."

"There must be something" said Hermione. "There just has to be!"

She seemed to be taking the library's lack of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.

"Even if we find a spell, what are the odds of Harry mastering by tomorrow" Ginny said hopelessly.

"Oh this is no use," Hermione said, snapping shut Weird Wizarding Dilemmas. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind" said Fred Weasley's voice. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione looked up. Fred and George had just emerged from behind some bookshelves.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you" said George. "McGonagall wants Ginny, and Hermione."

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"No clue…she was looking a bit grim, though" said Fred.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office" said George.

Ginny and Hermione stared at Harry, who felt his stomach drop. Was Professor McGonagall about to tell them off? Had she noticed how much they've been helping him? when he ought to be working out how to do the tasks alone?

 _Wait then why leave out Ron? He's been helping me too._

"We'll meet you back in the common room" Hermione told Harry and Ron, as she and Ginny got up to leave with the twins. "Bring as many books as you can."

"Right" Harry said uneasily.

* * *

"Harry Potter must wake up, sir!"

Harry opened his eyes. He was in the Gryffindor common room, Ron was still asleep in the chair next to him, some book left open on his chest, while his own was stuck to the pages of whatever book he was reading when he'd fallen asleep.

 _We must've fallen asleep waiting for Ginny and Hermione to get back_ , Harry realized, straightening his glasses, he could now see who had woken him. "Dobby?"

"Harry Potter needs to hurry!" the elf said frantically. "The second task starts in ten minutes, and Harry Potter…"

"Ten minutes?!" Harry shouted, jarring Ron awake in the process.

"We fell asleep" said Ron, catching on quickly.

Checking the clock, they found Dobby was right. It was twenty past nine, and they still didn't have a clue as to how Harry could complete the task.

"Hurry, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, pulling at Harry's sleeve. "You is supposed to be down by the lake with the other champions, sir!"

"Dobby, I can't do the task" Harry said hopelessly. "I don't know how…"

"Harry Potter will do the task!" squeaked the elf. "Dobby knew Harry had not found the right book, so Dobby did it for him!"

"What?" They couldn't believe it Ron and Harry had spent days researching when the little elf had the answer all along.

"But you shouldn't even know what the second task is" said Harry.

"Dobby knows, sir! Harry Potter has to go into the lake and find his Ginny."

"Ginny? what about…" Harry's blood ran cold, as he realized what the elf was talking about. "They've got Ginny" he whispered, horror struck.

"What?!" Ron shouted.

"The thing Harry Potter will miss most, sir!" Dobby confirmed.

' _But past an hour, the prospect's black,_

 _Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.'_

"Dobby, what've I got to do?"

"You has to eat this, sir!" squeaked the elf, and he put his hand in the pocket of his shorts and drew out a ball of what looked like slimy, grayish-green rat tails. "Right before you go into the lake, sir, gillyweed!"

"What does it do?" Ron asked, staring at the plant.

"Make Harry Potter breath underwater, sir!"

"Dobby" Harry said frantically. "You're sure this'll work, right?"

He couldn't quite forget that the last time Dobby had tried to 'help' him, he had ended up with no bones in his right arm.

"Dobby is quite sure, sir!" said the elf earnestly. "Dobby hears things, sir, he is a house-elf, he goes all over the castle as he lights the fires and mops the floors. Dobby heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody in the staffroom, talking about the next task. Dobby cannot let Harry Potter lose his Ginny!"

That was good enough for Harry, grabbing the gillyweed, he tore out of the common room with Ron and Dobby at his heels.

"Dobby is supposed to be in the kitchens, sir!" said Dobby, clearly upset he couldn't go and lend his support. "Good luck, Harry Potter, sir, good luck!"

"See you later, Dobby and thanks!" he shouted, as the elf vanished from sight.

"You know, we have to talk about this 'your' Ginny thing" said Ron, as they rushed through the entrance hall.

"Not a good time Ron" said Harry.

"Yeah well I'm just saying better you than some other bloke."

Harry wasn't sure if this was because Ron had faith he'd save Ginny or if he was simply trying to keep his mind off the fact his sister had been taken. Either way it really wasn't the best time for this conversation.

Once outside Ron broke off from Harry to go find Hermione in the stands, while he continued down to the lakeside to join the judges and the other champions.

"I'm, here" Harry called, skidding to a halt in the mud, accidentally splattering Fleur's robes.

"Where have you been?" said a bossy, disapproving voice. "The task's about to start!"

Apparently Mr. Crouch was still ill, as Percy was there taking his place at the judge's table.

"Now, now, Percy" said Ludo Bagman, who was looking interestingly relieved to see Harry. "He's here that's all that matters."

Karkaroff and Maxime didn't share his opinion, looking far from pleased to see Harry. Obviously that didn't think he was going to show up.

Bagman then had the champions space themselves out about ten feet apart, along the lake bank. Harry was on the very end of the line, next to Krum, who was wearing swimming trunks and holding his wand at the ready.

"All right, Harry?" Bagman whispered as he moved Harry a few feet farther away from Krum. "Know what you're going to do?"

"Yeah" said Harry, confused by the man's interest in him.

Bagman gave Harry's shoulder a quick squeeze and returned to the judges' table; he pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, "Sonorus!" and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

" **Our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. 1 . . . 2 . . . 3!"**

The crowd went wild as Bagman's whistle echoed in the cold still air. Not bothering to worry about the other champions, Harry kicked off his shoes and socks, threw off his robe, stuffed the handful of gillyweed into his mouth, and waded out into the lake.

The freezing waters felt like daggers as Harry waited for something to happen. He could hear laughter in the crowd and knew he must've looked stupid just standing there without showing any sign of magical power. But that didn't matter all Harry wanted to do was rescue Ginny, and he was starting to worry that Dobby made a mistake.

Then suddenly, Harry felt as though an invisible pillow had been pressed over his mouth and nose. He tried to draw breath, but it made his head spin; his lungs were empty, and he suddenly felt a piercing pain on either side of his neck.

Clapping his hands around his throat, Harry felt two large slits just below his ears, flapping the cold air.

 _I have gills? Thank you, Dobby!_

Without a moment to spare, Harry dived into the water. The first gulp of icy lake water felt like the breath of life. His head stopped spinning; he took another great gulp of water and felt it pass smoothly through his gills, sending oxygen back to his brain. He stretched out his hands in front of him and was surprised to find the gillyweed had done more than just grant him gills. It had transformed him completely; his hands and feet had become webbed.

The water didn't even feel icy anymore, instead it felt pleasantly cool. Testing his new amphibian like limbs, Harry was surprised by how fast he could propel himself through the water, swimming so far out into the lake he couldn't see the shore.

 _Ok I'm coming, Ginny._ While Harry had decided not to use his Soul Reaper powers in the tournament; kidnapping his friend definitely changed his view on the subject. Extending his senses, he was able to pick up on three human souls in the lake other than Cedric and Krum, along with another soul that felt similar to Fleur's.

The soul that was similar to Fleur's led Harry to believe it was a family member. The other three he identified as Cho Chang (obviously Cedric's hostage), Ginny (his own) but the third soul was certainly a surprise.

 _Hermione?!_ Harry could only reason that she had been taken as Krum's hostage due to her going with him to the ball. Still he now knew where to go, so Harry dived down into the dark depths, using the hostage's spiritual pressures as his guide.

Good thing too, as Harry found that he could barely see more than ten feet ahead of him. New scenes seemed to emerge suddenly from the oncoming darkness: forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones. He swam deeper and deeper, out toward the middle of the lake, his eyes wide, staring through the eerily gray-lit water around him to the shadows beyond, where the water became opaque.

Light green seaweed stretched ahead of him as far as he could see, two feet deep, like a meadow of very overgrown grass. Then, without warning, something grabbed hold of his ankle.

Harry twisted his body around and saw a grindylow, a small, horned water demon, poking out of the weeds, its long fingers clutched tightly around Harry's leg, its pointed fangs bared. Remembering what Remus had taught him about the water demon, Harry stomped his free foot on the creature's fragile fingers, freeing himself just as more grindylows rose out of the weeds. The water demons seized Harry's legs, attempting to drag him down. Desperate to get free and get back to rescuing Ginny, Harry flared his spirit energy as much as his human body would allow.

Just as he hoped the gridylows backed off as they now realized that Harry wasn't a regular human. The water demons were smart enough not challenge a reaper and quickly retreated back to their den.

"Wow you sure scared them."

Harry whipped around and saw Moaning Myrtle floating hazily in front of him, gazing at him through her thick, pearly glasses.

"Myrtle!" Harry tried to shout, but only bubbles came out of his mouth. Moaning Myrtle actually giggled.

"You want to try over there" she said, pointing. "I won't come with you. I don't like them much; they always chase me when I get too close.

Harry gave her the thumbs-up to show his thanks and set off once more, careful to swim a bit higher over the weed to avoid any more grindylows that might be lurking there.

He swam on for what felt like at least twenty minutes. He was passing over vast expanses of black mud now, which swirled murkily as he disturbed the water. Then, at long last, he heard a haunting mersong.

" _ **An hour long you'll have to look,**_

 _ **And to recover what we took . . ."**_

Harry swam faster and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid. Harry swam on past the rock, following the mersong.

" _ **. . . your time's half gone, so tarry not**_

 _ **Lest what you seek stays here to rot."**_

A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, Harry saw them, the merpeople. They had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks.

Apparently his earlier burst of spirit energy was more powerful than he thought as the merpeople all bowed he swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to get a better look at him, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands, and hand over heart in a warrior's salute.

 _Maybe Ron was right and I could've just yelled that they give Ginny back._

Harry sped on, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and he even saw a pet grindylow tied to a stake outside one door. Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly, pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another. Harry sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.

A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that lined what looked like a mer-version of a village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Four people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.

Ginny was tied between Hermione and Cho Chang. There was also a girl who looked no older than eight, whose clouds of silvery hair made Harry feel sure that she was Fleur Delacour's sister. All four of them appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads lolled onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept flowed from their mouths.

Harry sped towards the hostages, finding the ropes of seaweed tying them to the statue were thick, slimy, and very strong. He swam to the nearest merman and did his best to mime that he needed to borrow his spear. The merman apologetically shook his head.

"Apologies Reaper, but we cannot interfere" he said in a croaky voice.

 _Of course it's not that easy._ For a moment Harry considered turning into a Soul Reaper and just using Nakatsukasa to cut them free, but he didn't want to risk having his soulless body floating up to the surface if he didn't have too.

Grabbing a jagged rock from the lake bottom, Harry started hacking away at Ginny's bindings, and after several minutes of hard work, they broke apart, leaving her floating, unconscious, a few inches above the lake bottom.

Harry looked around but there was no sign of any of the other champions, in fact he could sense that they were still a good distance away. Not wanting to leave anyone behind, Harry turned to Hermione to free her. But before he could start on her bindings, half a dozen mermen pulled him away from Hermione.

"Reaper, you can only take your own hostage" one of them said.

"No way!" said Harry furiously, but only two large bubbles came out.

For a moment the mermen looked afraid that the they'd be forced to try and defend themselves against an angry Soul Reaper. But then they started pointing excitedly at something over Harry's head. He looked up and saw Cedric swimming toward them. There was an enormous bubble around his head, which made his features look oddly wide and stretched.

"Got lost!" he mouthed, looking panic-stricken. "Fleur and Krum are coming now!"

Relieved, Harry watched Cedric pull a knife from his pocket and cut Cho free. He pulled her upward and out of sight.

Harry looked around, waiting. Where were Fleur and Krum? Time was getting short, and according to the song, the hostages would be lost after an hour.

The merpeople started screeching animatedly. Harry turned and saw something monstrous cutting through the water toward them: a human body in swimming trunks with the head of a shark….it was Krum. He appeared to have transfigured himself…. badly.

The shark-man swam straight to Hermione and began snapping and biting at her ropes; the trouble was that Krum's new teeth were positioned very awkwardly for biting anything smaller than a dolphin, and Harry was sure if Krum wasn't careful, he was going to rip Hermione in half. Darting forward, Harry hit Krum hard on the shoulder and held up the jagged stone.

Krum seized it and began to cut Hermione free. Within seconds, he cut through the rope; he grabbed Hermione around the waist, and without a backward glance made for the surface.

 _Now what?_ Harry thought desperately. He could still sense that Fleur was a whiles away. There was nothing to be done except….

Snatching up his makeshift dagger, Harry moved to free the little girl but once again the mermen got in his way. Harry's spirit energy flared, as he glared at the now frightened merpeople.

"You've got until three!" he shouted; holding up three fingers to make sure they got his point. "1…" (he put down a finger) "2…" (he put down a second one)

They scattered and Harry quickly freed the small girl from the statue. Hugging the girls close to him, Harry kicked off from the statue and started for the surface.

It wasn't easy; he could no longer use his webbed hands and Ginny and Fleur's sister were like sandbags dragging him back down. The merpeople were rising with him, but Harry didn't pay them much mind; he didn't think they'd want to challenge a reaper.

Instead Harry just kept focused on reaching the surface but as the gillyweed started to wear off, he started to feel the weight of his efforts. Harry's legs were seizing up from struggle to keep swimming; his shoulders were aching horribly, screaming for him to release Ginny and the girl.

Gone were his amphibian traits, leaving him fully aware of the water flooding his lungs, growing dizzy from the effort Harry started to think he wouldn't make it. The world was starting to go dark around him and then he felt it; wonderful, cold, clear air stinging against his wet face; he gulped it down, feeling as though he had never breathed properly before.

Panting, Harry pulled Ginny and the little girl up with him. All around him, wild, green-haired heads emerged from the water with them, but gone was their fear, instead they were smiling at Harry.

The crowd in the stands was making a great deal of noise; shouting and screaming, they all seemed to be on their feet; Harry had the impression they thought that Ginny and the little girl might be dead, but they were wrong . . . both of them had opened their eyes; the girl looked scared and confused, but Ginny merely spit out a great spout of water, blinking in the bright sunlight.

"You ok, Ginny?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm ok" she smiled, the she noticed Fleur's sister. "Seems you brought a guest."

"Fleur didn't turn up" Harry panted. "I couldn't leave her,"

"Turns out the song wasn't that serious" Ginny laughed, not surprised Harry's refusal to leave the girl.

"But the song said…."

"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit."

Harry just felt both stupid and annoyed. He'd gone crazy with worry and threatened the merpeople for nothing!

"Help me with her" said Harry, wanting to take his mind off what just happened. "I don't think she can swim very well."

They pulled Fleur's sister through the water, back toward the bank where the judges stood watching, twenty merpeople accompanying them like a guard of honor, singing their horrible screechy songs. Harry could see Madam Pomfrey fussing over Hermione, Krum, Cedric, and Cho, all of whom were wrapped in thick blankets.

Dumbledore and Bagman stood beaming at Harry and Ginny from the bank as they swam closer, while Percy, who looked a ghostly pale and somehow much younger than usual, came splashing out to meet them.

Meanwhile Madame Maxime was trying to restrain Fleur Delacour, who was hysterically fighting tooth and nail to return to the water.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she hurt?"

"She's fine!" Harry tried to tell her, but he was so exhausted he could hardly talk, let alone shout.

Percy grabbed Ginny and dragged her back to the bank ("Percy, I'm fine!"); leaving Dumbledore and Bagman to pull Harry to his feet. He had practically just reached shore when Fleur rushed over, taking her sister into her arms.

"It was the grindylows… they attacked me…. oh Gabrielle, I thought… I thought"

 _Looks like I'm not the only one that took the song seriously_ Harry noted, as Pomfrey dragged him over to the others, wrapped him in a towel, and forced a hot potion down his throat, causing steam to gush from his ears.

"You did it, Harry" Hermione cried. "You found out how all by yourself!"

"Well…" Harry would've told her about Dobby, but then he noticed Karkaroff watching him. He was the only judge who had not left the table; the only judge not showing signs of pleasure and relief that Harry, Ginny, and Fleur's sister had returned safely.

"Yeah, that's right" he said, raising his voice slightly so that Karkaroff could hear him.

"You have a water beetle in your hair, Hermione" said Krum.

Harry had the impression that Krum was drawing her attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he had just rescued her from the lake, but Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently and said,

"You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry. Did it take you ages to find us?"

Harry couldn't help but notice the tone surprise in her voice; Hermione knew it should've been a simple matter for him to just follow their spirit energy back to them.

"No…I found you ok"

Harry's feelings of stupidity were growing. Now that he was out of the water, it seemed perfectly clear that, regardless of his problems with him; Dumbledore wouldn't have permitted the death of a hostage just because their champion hadn't turned up.

Why hadn't he just grabbed Ginny and left? He would have been first back. Cedric and Krum hadn't wasted time worrying about anyone else; they hadn't taken the mersong seriously.

Dumbledore was crouching at the water's edge, deep in conversation with what seemed to be the chief merperson, a particularly wild and ferocious-looking female. He was making the same sort of screechy noises that the merpeople made when they were above water; clearly, Dumbledore could speak Mermish. Finally, he straightened up, turned to his fellow judges, and said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."

The judges went into a huddle. Madam Pomfrey had gone to rescue Ginny from Percy's clutches; she led him over to Harry and the others, gave him a blanket and some Pepperup Potion, then went to fetch Fleur and her sister. Fleur had many cuts on her face and arms and her robes were torn, but she didn't seem to care, nor would she allow Madam Pomfrey to clean them.

"Look after Gabrielle," she told her, and then she turned to Harry. "You saved her," she said breathlessly. "Even though she was not your hostage."

"Yeah," said Harry, who was now heartily wishing he'd left all three girls tied to the statue.

"You are truly honorable, Harry" she said, kissing him twice on each cheek.

Harry could feel his face burning and wouldn't have been surprised if steam was coming out of his ears again. Ginny on the other hand glared furiously at the Frenchwoman, who had the nerve to smirk teasingly at the younger girl's obvious jealousy.

Bagman's magically magnified voice boomed out beside them, making them all jump, and causing the crowd in the stands to go very quiet.

" **Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows:** **Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."**

The crowd cheered but Fleur looked far from happy.

"I deserved zero" she tearfully, still shaken by her inability to save her sister.

" **Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour."**

The Hufflepuffs were now going crazy; It was Cho's approval especially that brought a grin to Cedric's face.

" **We therefore award him forty-seven points."**

Harry's heart sank. If Cedric had been outside the time limit, he most certainly had been.

 _I'm sorry Hagrid._

" **Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."**

Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior.

" **Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect"** Bagman continued. **"He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own**.

 **Most of the judges,"** Bagman gave Karkaroff a very nasty look **, "feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks. However, Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."**

Harry's stomach leapt; he was now tying for first place with Cedric. Ginny leapt and wrapped her arms around Harry, as she and Hermione laughed and applauded with the rest of the crowd.

Fleur was applauding too, but Krum didn't look happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering for Harry to listen.

" **The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June,"** Bagman continued. **"The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."**

As Madam Pomfrey herded the champions and their hostages back to the castle to get into some dry clothes; Harry decided that the next time he was in Hogsmeade, he was going to buy Dobby a pair of socks for every day of the year.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Harry and his friends, that was no ordinary beetle that Hermione had brushed out of her hair. Flying until it was hidden safely in the shadows of the outer rim of the surrounding forest, the beetle transformed into none other than Rita Skeeter.

The vindictive reporter had been using her abilities as an animagus to spy on people for years, to collect information for her stories. Her current targets were Hermione and Ginny, who had the nerve to insult her. Unfortunately for the crooked reporter, they had a very good friend watching out for them.

"So spying on children, now."

Rita practically jumped out of her skin, spinning around coming face to face with a smirking Yoruichi.

"Funny thing is, I'm fairly certain you aren't a registered animagus" Yoruichi continued. "Now what would the Ministry say about that."

While she didn't have a personal vendetta against Skeeter; Yoruichi didn't approve of anyone that would deliberately target children, especially using such a cruel medium as the media.

"Oh please, I don't know who you are" Skeeter scoffed. "But I'm untouchable."

Sad thing is she really believed that. Over the course of her carrier Rita had collected dirt on a number of higher ups in the Ministry of Magic; unfortunately, for her that wasn't going to save her now.

She couldn't explain how it happened, one minute she was leaving Hogwarts grounds, preparing to write a slander piece against Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. The next she was in her beetle form stuck inside a glass jar on the desk of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; it's head Madam Bones, glaring down at her as she read a letter in her hands.

"Well Ms. Skeeter it seems we have much to discuss."

* * *

 **Prophet Reporter Under Investigation**

 **Rita Skeeter: Illegal Animagus**

 ** _Ex-Daily Prophet reporter: Rita Skeeter was delivered to the office of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Madame Bone's office where it was discovered that she was in fact an unregistered animagus; a beetle._**

 ** _Madam Bone's reports that it was the work of an anonymous party, who in addition to bringing Ms. Skeeter to their attention, they had also left a written statement that she had made use of her ability to illegally spy on a number of her article's subjects._**

 ** _The Daily Prophet was in no way aware nor supports this reporter's actions and will comply fully with the DMLE's investigation into the matter._**

"Justice at last" Hermione said triumphantly.

"And you're very welcome" said Yoruichi.

It was a week after the second task; Harry was in the middle of another training session with Yoruichi, when Hermione, Ron, and Ginny burst into the room, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet.

The kids couldn't help but take pleasure in the fact that Rita Skeeter was finally paying for all the pain he caused Hagrid.

"Thanks a lot, Yoruichi" said Harry.

"Believe me it was a pleasure" she smirked.


	18. The Madness of Mr Crouch

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

As they entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned their hands and faces every time they went out onto the grounds.

Friday morning, a brown owl delivered a letter from Sirius and Remus, with half its feathers blown off from the violent winds. The second, Harry removed the letter from its leg, the owl took off, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.

The letter was oddly short:

 _ **Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon…. Oh and bring food! ("Sirius!")**_

"Think they finished with their investigation?" asked Ginny.

"But why don't they want to meet at the Three Broomsticks or something?" Hermione questioned.

"Sirius probably doesn't want to cause a scene" said Harry. Since his release, Sirius' presence had been known to cause a stir with the wizarding public. It was the reason they lived in muggle London, so as to allow them some peace and quiet at home.

Still for the first time in his life, Harry was feeling something akin to homesickness. He really loved living with Sirius and Remus and had come to miss their company, when not distracted by his Soul Reaper duties or the tournament.

So he therefore approached the final lesson of the afternoon, double Potions, feeling considerably more cheerful than he usually did when descending the steps to the dungeons.

Unfortunately, Snape was determined to change that. While having the Potions professor glaring hatefully at him wasn't anything new, Harry had honestly gotten used to Snape leaving him alone for the most part, after he blasted him with a kidō.

But today it seemed Snape's had grown tired of not being allowed to demean Harry in class, as he made his way over to his, Ron, and Hermione's desk.

"Hmm, best split you three up" he sneered, offering no explanation other than to satisfy his whim. "Weasley, you stay here. Ms. Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter, that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."

Furious, Harry threw his ingredients and his bag into his cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon to the empty table. Snape followed, sat down at his desk and watched Harry unload his cauldron. Determined not to look at Snape, Harry resumed the mashing of his scarab beetles, imagining each one to have Snape's face.

"Don't think for a second that I'll tolerate your continued disrespect" Snape said quietly, so low that no one else could hear.

Harry could just make out what sounded like snickering from Malfoy and Parkinson. Obviously this was Snape's attempt at revenge for his humiliation at Harry's hands.

"Dumbledore may let you believe the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you" he went on, "but I don't care. To me, Potter you are nothing but a nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him."

Harry continued to work on his potion, pouring his now thoroughly powdered beetles into his cauldron. His hand's shaking with rage, as he worked on cutting up his ginger roots, all the while keeping his eyes down lest he lose his temper.

"So I give you fair warning, Potter," Snape continued in a softer and more dangerous voice, "pint-sized celebrity or not; if I catch you breaking into my office one more time."

"I haven't been anywhere near your office!" said Harry angrily, his eyes once again slowly taking on Hollow like characteristics.

"Don't lie to me," the Potions professor hissed. "Boom-slang skin. Gillyweed. Both come from my private stores, and I know who stole them."

In truth, Harry hadn't stolen either of these things from Snape. Hermione had taken the boom-slang skin back in their second year; they had needed it for the Polyjuice Potion, and while Snape had suspected Harry at the time, he had never been able to prove it. Dobby, of course, had stolen the gillyweed.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Harry lied coldly, his eyes returning to normal, as he regained control of his anger.

Snape's eyes flashed. He plunged a hand into the inside of his black robes. For one wild moment, Harry thought Snape was about to pull out his wand and curse him. Instead he pulled out a small crystal bottle, containing a completely clear potion.

"Do you know what this is, Potter?" he asked, eyes glittering dangerously.

"No."

"This is Veritaserum, a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear," Snape said viciously. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips" he shook the bottle slightly, "right over your evening pumpkin juice. And then, Potter…then we'll find out whether you've been in my office or not.

Refusing to show fear, Harry simply went about his business. Though if he were honest with himself, he didn't like the sound of that truth potion at all, nor would he put it past Snape to slip him some. A lot of people would be in trouble, Hermione and Dobby to start; there was also his Soul Reaper work to consider, Harry knew the Gotei 13 didn't interfere directly with matters of the World of the Living, so he didn't want to know what they'd do if Snape learned about them,

It wasn't so much what the Soul Reapers would do to Snape but rather what they'd do to him. What if they fired him? Harry had found a sense of pride and purpose in his work as a Substitute Soul Reaper, it was a choice he made and was proud of. He didn't want to risk having that taken away.

Suddenly Harry was jolted from his thoughts, as someone knocked on the dungeon door.

"Enter" said Snape in his usual voice.

The class watched as the door opened, revealing Karkaroff. The Durmstrang Headmaster walked up to Snape's desk, twisting his fingers nervously around his goatee.

"We need to talk" he said abruptly, keeping his voice low.

"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff…" Snape muttered.

"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus" Karkaroff interrupted. "You've been avoiding me."

"After the lesson," Snape snapped.

Under the pretext of holding up a measuring cup to see if he'd poured out enough armadillo bile, Harry sneaked a sidelong glance at the pair of them. Karkaroff looked extremely worried, and Snape looked angry.

But that wasn't all, Harry could now confirm what Yoruichi told him. At the time he had been so distracted by his own issues, he hadn't noticed before, but it was unmistakable, both Snape and Karkaroff were giving off very weak traces of a Hollow's spiritual pressure.

Karkaroff hovered behind Snape's desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of class. Keen to hear what Karkaroff wanted to say, Harry deliberately knocked over his bottle of armadillo bile with two minutes to go to the bell, giving himself an excuse to duck down behind his cauldron and mop up while the rest of the class moved noisily toward the door.

"What's so urgent?" he heard Snape hiss at Karkaroff.

"This," said Karkaroff, and Harry, peering around the edge of his cauldron, saw Karkaroff pull up the left-hand sleeve of his robe and show Snape something on his inner forearm. "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since…"

"Put it away!" the potions master snarled, his black eyes sweeping the classroom.

"But you must have noticed…"

"We can talk later, Karkaroff!" Snape spat. "Potter! What're you doing?"

"Cleaning up my armadillo bile, Professor" Harry said innocently, showing Snape the soiled rag he'd been using.

Karkaroff turned on his heel and strode out of the dungeon, looking both worried and angry. Not wanting to remain alone with an exceptionally angry Snape, Harry threw his books and ingredients back into his bag and left at top speed to tell his friends what he'd heard.

* * *

The next day Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione left for Hogsmeade. Their first stop was Glad Rags' Wizard Wear to buy a present for Dobby. They had fun selecting the most vibrant socks they could find, including a pair patterned with flashing gold and silver stars, and another that screamed loudly when they became too smelly. Then, at half past one, they made their way up the High Street, past Dervish and Banges, the winding lane was leading them out into the wild countryside around Hogsmeade.

The cottages grew fewer here, and their gardens larger, as they approached the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. At the end of the lane there was a stile, where waiting for them, its front paws on the topmost bar, was a very large, shaggy black dog.

"Hey, Sirius" Harry grinned.

The Sirius sniffed at Harry's bag, containing the food he'd asked them to bring, before taking off towards the rocky foot of the mountain, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione following closely behind him.

Sirius led them to an old worn out looking cottage, similar to the Shrieking Shack back in Hogsmeade. Inside they found Remus sitting at a table reading a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Hey kids" Remus smiled. Both he and Sirius looked tired and ragged, a testament to how time consuming their investigation has been.

"It's good to see you, Prof. Lupin" said Hermione.

"So why are you guys here?" asked Ron.

"I'm fulfilling my duties as a godfather" said Sirius, now in his human form, grinning at all of them. "And I thought it'd be fun to bring Moony, along for the ride. Is that from the Three Broomsticks?"

Remus sighed as Sirius accepted the meal from Harry's bag. It wasn't as if they couldn't just grab something themselves before coming to the meeting. Still Remus could understand that after being written off as a traitor and left to rot in Azkaban for twelve years, Sirius was warry of the wizarding public.

Ron nudged Harry and passed him the Daily Prophets. There were two: The first bore the headline _**Mystery Illness of Bartemius**_ _**Crouch**_ , the second, _**Ministry Witch Still Missing — Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved.**_

Phrases jumped out at Harry, as he skimmed through the story about Crouch. _ **: hasn't been seen in public since November…. house appears deserted …...St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment…. Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness….**_

"They're making it sound like he's dying," said Harry slowly. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here."

"My brother's Crouch's personal assistant," Ron informed Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."

"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close," said Harry slowly, still reading the story. "The night my name came out of the goblet."

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione, an edge to her voice. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now. Bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."

"Hermione's added house-elves to her crusade" Ginny explained, Remus and Sirius both looked interested but for different reasons.

"Oh the S.O.M.E. group" said Remus, much to the children's surprise.

"You've heard of it?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"You've been making some noise" he smiled. "There's been some complaint about 'uppity mud-bloods' from the darker families."

Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked to Hermione in awe, who was wearing a proud smile on her face. They knew that the S.O.M.E. group had cut down on a lot of attempts at ganging up on and bullying muggleborns but none of them thought about those same bullies complaining to their parents.

Still this was a victory for Hermione who was already imaging what could happen if they got the muggleborn graduates to take a more active role in fighting against blood purity.

"Did you guys finding anything?" asked Harry, getting to the subject of Sirius and Remus' investigation on the Death Eaters.

"Not much" Remus sighed. "We did some digging around both in England and Albania. We didn't run into anything pointing to Voldemort's location but there's definitely something that's been getting the Death Eaters attention."

"Yeah Karkaroff's been acting jumpy lately and keeps trying to show Snape something. Plus, they've been giving off some weak traces of a Hollow's spiritual pressure."

"Maybe the Death Eaters have anything to do with the increase in Hollows" said Ron.

"There's been an increase in Hollows?" asked Sirius, turning to Harry for answers. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Yeah Yoruichi told us there's been an increase lately all over Europe." said Harry "And I didn't think to tell you guys since well…"

"Yeah ok I get it." Sirius didn't like it but it wasn't like he or Remus could do anything against Hollows. Sometimes it bothered him that all that time around Lily did nothing more than give him the ability to see the spiritual beings yet still remain powerless to do anything about them. "So who's Yoruichi?"

"A Soul Reaper that's been helping Harry manage the extra load" said Ginny. "She's also the one that strung up, Rita Skeeter."

This got a laugh from Sirius and Remus as the story reminded them of something they would've pulled in their old marauder days.

"Anyway I doubt the Death Eaters could have anything to do with Hollows" said Sirius. "It's probably just left over from an attack or something. Like what Lily said about Fullbringers."

"But what we do know is that the Death Eaters started getting antsy after the Dark Mark appeared at the Cup" said Remus.

"Did they ever figure out who cast the mark?" asked Hermione.

"No after you lot brought down Malfoy; Fudge get involved and pinned everything on Crouch's elf."

"It was probably Lucius Malfoy" said Ron. "He must've stole Harry's wand and gave it to Winky, after using it to cast the mark."

"Except we already captured him before the mark was cast" Hermione reminded him.

"Was there anyone else by you at the Cup, that could've stolen your wand?" asked Sirius.

"There was Ludo Bagman" said Ginny. "And he's been taking a real interest in Harry."

"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps. What do you mean, he's taken an interest in Harry?"

"He offered to help me with the first task" said Harry. "And he seemed really relieved that I made it to the second task in time."

Sirius adopted a thoughtful look as started pacing the room. "When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione all traded looks wondering if anyone of them had actually seen the department head's reaction.

"Actually" Ginny finally spoke up. "I think I remember him looking around a bit when, Mr. Diggory called him over. But there wasn't anyone else there."

"Of course," Sirius muttered., "He'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf . . . and then he sacked her?"

"Yes," said Hermione in a heatedly. "He sacked her, just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled!"

By now Harry, Ron, and Ginny knew better than to say anything about Hermione's continued efforts to improve house-elf rights.

"Sounds like you've got a good measure of the kind of man Crouch is" said Sirius. "Let this be a lesson: If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

"Wow, Pad foot, never thought I'd see you teach anything" Remus commented.

"Shut up, Moony."

"Do you know, Crouch?" asked Harry.

"Oh I know Crouch all right" Sirius said darkly, surprising his godson with his obvious hatred. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban, without a trial."

"What?!" They certainly didn't expect that.

"Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement" Remus explained, as Sirius took a few calming breaths.

"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," Sirius took over, now slightly calmer. "He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, magically powerful — and power-hungry. Oh never a Voldemort supporter," he said, reading the look on Harry's face. "No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side."

"Maybe even too outspoken" said Remus.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing . . . the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere . . . panic . . . confusion . . . that's how it used to be."

For a brief moment Sirius felt guilty as he remembered the Order had suspected Remus of being a traitor due to being a werewolf.

"Times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others." Remus continued. "I would say Crouch was the latter. You see Crouch rose quickly through the Ministry and started ordering harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters, even authorizing Auror use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. Now Crouch had his supporters and when Voldemort disappeared, it looked like he'd take over as Minister of Magic…."

"But then something rather unfortunate happened" Sirius interjected, smiling grimly.

"Yes I was getting to that" said Remus, glaring lightly at his friend for the interruption. "You see Crouch's son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

"his son" Ginny gasped.

"Did Crouch try and get his son off?" Hermione asked quietly.

Sirius let out a bark like laugh.

"Crouch let his son off? I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again, doesn't that tell you what he's like?

Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy . . . then he sent him straight to Azkaban."

"He gave his own son to the Dementors?" asked Harry quietly.

"That's right," said Sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. "I saw the Dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though…. they all went quiet in the end…. except when they shrieked in their sleep. . .."

For a moment, the deadened look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them. It was becoming less frequent but sometimes Sirius fell into flashbacks of his time in Azkaban. Harry and Remus have found that it was best not to draw attention to these attacks and let Sirius return on his own.

"So he's still in Azkaban?" said Harry.

"No" said Sirius dully. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."

"He died?"

"He wasn't the only one. Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the Dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The Dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."

Sirius took a swig of the butter beer Harry had packed for him.

"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made," he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic . . . next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and a big drop in popularity.

Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

A tense silence filled the room as Sirius finished his meal. Harry thought this explained Crouch's extreme reaction to Winky being found beneath the Dark Mark. It must've brought back memories of his son, and his fall from grace at the Ministry.

* * *

"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" said Ron, as they walked up to the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care . . . it'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Yeah, Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."

"Percy would never throw any of his family to the Dementors," said Hermione harshly.

"I don't know" said Ginny. "He's always been a really serious about rules."

"Still we should ask him, if he's seen Crouch lately" said Harry.

"Why?" asked Ron. He really didn't want to hear about his brother's obsession with Crouch.

"I was thinking maybe he's looking into Bertha Jenkins. Sirius and Remus told me that's where she disappeared."

"And if Crouch is as obsessed with Dark Wizards as he sounds, he'd know about the rumors saying Voldemort was in Albania" said Hermione, catching on to what Harry thinking.

"Um, guys" said Ginny. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

The Weasley girl pointed to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where a man came staggering out. For a moment Harry didn't recognize him…then he realized it was Mr. Crouch.

He looked as though he had been traveling for days. The knees of his robes were ripped and bloody, his face scratched; he was unshaven and gray with exhaustion. His neat hair and mustache were both in need of a wash and a trim. His strange appearance, however, was nothing to the way he was behaving, muttering to himself as if talking to someone only he could see.

Cautiously they approached Crouch, who was occupied having a discussion with a nearby tree.

"….and when you've done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament, Karkaroff has just sent word there will be twelve…."

"Mr. Crouch?" Harry said carefully.

"….and then send another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she's bringing, now Karkaroff's made it a round dozen . . . do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will…"

"Mr. Crouch" Harry said loudly. "Are you alright?"

"He looks far from alright, mate" Ron commented.

None of them could disagree, the man was clearly unbalanced. The man's eyes bulged, his insanity clear for all to see. Muttering silently at the tree, Crouch suddenly fell to his knees.

"Maybe we should get some help?" Hermione suggested.

"Dumbledore!" Crouch gasped suddenly, grabbing desperately at Harry's robes. "I need…see…Dumbledore…"

"Ok" Harry said carefully. "If you get up, Mr. Crouch, we can go see…"

"I've done…stupid…thing…" the crazed man breathed, every word taking a terrible effort. "Must…tell…Dumbledore…"

"Mr. Crouch, you need to let Harry go now" Ginny said softly.

"Weatherby?" said Crouch, naming Ginny for her red hair.

"Yes, it's Weatherby and I'll get Dumbledore for you, sir. I just need you to relax."

"Thank you, Weatherby, and when you have done that, I would like a cup of tea. My wife and son will be arriving shortly, we are attending a concert tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge."

Crouch was now talking to a tree again, seemingly forgetting Harry was even there.

"I'd hate to say it, but we should get Dumbledore" said Harry. "You guys stay here I'll go…ugh"

Harry suddenly fell to the ground unconscious, falling victim to a stunner. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all turned to face the attacker, wands at the ready. But before they could even utter a spell they too were knocked unconscious.

* * *

"I understand the day was nice by Hogwarts standards. But is it customary for students to sleep outside?" a voice asked teasingly.

"Ugh" Harry blinked open his eyes, surprised to see Fleur smiling down at him. "What's going on?"

"You tell me" said Fleur. "I was just returning to the carriage and I find you and your friends sleeping on the grass."

Harry certainly didn't expect that. The last thing he remembered was meeting with Sirius and Remus; judging from the sun which he could see was setting that was hours ago.

"Are you alright?" Fleur asked, as Ron, Hermione, and Ginny woke up.

"Yeah I think so" said Hermione, just as confused as Harry.

Try as they might none of them could remember why they had fallen asleep out by the edge of the forest. Concerned Fleur had the four go see Madam Pomfrey, who while not finding anything wrong with them insisted she keep them overnight.


	19. The Third Task

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

"I told you to be ever mindful" said Yoruichi, landing a kick to Harry's back.

After Pomfrey failed to find anything wrong with them, Hermione suggested talking to Yoruichi. It wasn't hard for the former Stealth Force commander to deduce they were attacked. She was not happy to hear that Harry hadn't been able sense their assailant's presence, and had practically dragged him to the Room of Requirement for an intense training session. This time focusing on Harry's ability to sense spiritual pressures; specifically trying to develop his ability to the point where he'll do it subconsciously, rather than needing to actively search them out.

In order to achieve this Yoruichi had given Harry the challenge to sense and dodge a number of her attacks, while he was still in human form.

"I didn't think I'd be attacked at Hogwarts" Harry argued, trying to get a lock on Yoruichi's spiritual pressure.

It wasn't going that well. While Yoruichi had slowed her speed to only a little faster than a Snitch, her movements were a lot trickier for Harry's currently human eyes to follow, and she wasn't giving him any time to focus.

"Good idea to tell Yoruichi, Hermione" said Ron, watching as Yoruichi knocked Harry to the ground with punch to the jaw.

"Well I didn't expect her to do this" Hermione argued. "Besides Hogwarts is supposed to be the…"

"The safest place in the world" Yoruichi said mockingly from behind them, smirking as Hermione, Ron, and Ginny practically jumped out of their skin. "I've done my homework and considering how your time here has been, do you really think it deserves to be called that?"

They had to admit Yoruichi had a point. First year (Philosopher's Stone), second year (Chamber of Secrets), third year (Dementors), and of course there was this year where someone had entered Harry into the Triwizard Tournament for some unknown purpose. They had to admit there was a pattern.

"Keeping this in mind, Harry should've been mindful his surroundings" said Yoruichi. "I would've thought the Skeeter incident would've taught him that."

"That's not fair" said Ginny. "I can sense things too and I didn't pick up on Skeeter."

"They weren't after you, Ginny, Harry's the target."

Ginny was about to argue further in Harry's defense when the Substitute Soul Reaper spoke up.

"It's ok, Ginny. Yoruichi's right" said Harry. "I should've been able to sense someone was coming. I can't expect her to always be covering for me."

"Glad to see you get it" said Yoruichi, flash stepping behind him.

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were about to call out a warning but turns out, Harry was slowly starting to improve as he successfully ducked under Yoruichi's first kick, though he wasn't fast enough to dodge the second, he did manage to bring his arms up in time to block; though it did still send him skidding back a bit.

Yoruichi was about to press him further when she was forced to stop; reaching her hand out to bat away a spell from Ginny, who along with Ron and Hermione moved to stand by Harry. The Soul Reaper smiled at the display of comradery; understanding they were all taking the blame for their failure to watch their surroundings, Yoruichi decided to step things up.

The training session would end with one proud Soul Reaper and four very tired, sore, and thoroughly beaten wizards.

Yoruichi kept up their training all the way into the summer term. By that time Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had all reached the point where they could actively sense out spiritual pressures without them needing to be overly powerful; Harry had gone a step further, now being able to instinctively sense how many souls were within a certain range of himself, and their locations.

* * *

On the morning of the third task, Harry and his friends were enjoying their breakfasts.

"So what're they having you do for the third task?" asked Ginny.

Harry and the other champions had been told about the task a few weeks ago. Though between his usual duties and Yoruichi's intense training, Harry had forgotten to tell his friends about it.

"We're supposed to race through a hedge maze and retrieve the Triwizard Cup" said Harry.

"That'll be easy for you" Ron grinned. "You can just fly."

"I'm sure they took, Harry's animagus form into consideration" Hermione disagreed.

She was right; Bagman informed the champions that since Harry would have an unfair advantage being able to change into his raven form, the judges had cast wards over the maze designed to keep anyone (Harry) from passing over the hedges.

"Do you have to always be right" Ron said to a pleased looking Hermione.

Just then, Prof. McGonagall walked over to them.

"Potter, the champions and their families are meeting in the side chamber" she told him.

"But the final task isn't until tonight" said Harry, confused by the early meeting.

"I'm aware. This is simply a chance for you to greet them" said McGonagall, before walking away.

"You think Sirius and Remus are here?" Harry asked his friends.

"Maybe" said Ron. "I just wonder if Sirius is going to show."

"I'm sure he will" said Ginny.

"We better get going" said Hermione. "We have our History of Magic exam, Ron."

"Right" Ron sighed. "See you later, Harry."

As a Triwizard champion, Harry was exempt from end-of-term exams. It was actually the only benefit to the whole situation for him.

Finishing his breakfast, Harry entered the side chamber, where the champions had gathered after they had first been selected by the Goblet of Fire. Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, speaking with his parents in rapid Bulgarian. On the other side of the room, Fleur was with her mother and little sister, Gabrielle, who smiled and waved excitedly at Harry, who waved back, grinning.

Then Harry saw them: a much cleaner looking Sirius and Remus, along with Mrs. Weasley and Bill, smiling at him from in front of the fireplace.

"How you doing, pup?" Sirius grinned.

"Surprised to see you out in public" said Harry, touched that his godfather would put aside his own discomfort for him.

"We wanted to be here just in case" said Remus.

It seemed her patience had run out as Mrs. Weasley then pulled Harry into a hug, kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey, Harry" Bill grinned, shaking his hand. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."

"Why don't you give us tour, Harry" said Sirius. "Didn't get a proper look around last year."

So it went that Harry spent the morning as a guide for the group with Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Sirius, and Remus making comments and telling stories of their own times at Hogwarts.

"So how's Percy?" Harry asked, as they walked around the greenhouses.

"Not good" said Bill.

"He's very upset" said Mrs. Weasley, lowering her voice. "The Ministry wants to keep Mr. Crouch's disappearance quiet, and Percy's been brought in for questioning about the instructions he's been sending in. They're afraid it might not have really been Mr. Crouch writing them. So they're not letting Percy fill in as the fifth judge tonight. Cornelius Fudge is going to do it."

* * *

While Harry was having a good time, Yoruichi was having a long awaited meeting with Urahara. The two stood unnoticed atop the Gryffindor tower, watching as the champions and their families explored the grounds.

"Took you long enough" said Yoruichi. "Are you losing your touch, Kisuke?"

"That maybe" Urahara said casually. "I had to go looking through the older archives, but I know what's causing Harry Potter's change. We'll have to deal with it the instant the tournament is over."

"Agreed. Only hope things don't get complicated."

* * *

That evening the champions were summoned down to the Quidditch field, which had gone through some changes for the third task; twenty-foot hedges running all around the pitch. Harry half wondered just how Oliver Wood would've reacted to the sight.

Five minutes after their arrival, the spectators moved into the stands, filling the air with the sound of excited voices and rumbling feet. The first stars were just starting to appear, when Hagrid, along with Professors Moody, McGonagall, and Flitwick, the champions.

"We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze" said Prof. McGonagall. "If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come get you, do you understand?"

The champions nodded.

"Off you go, then!" Bagman said excitedly, sending the four patrollers on their way.

"Good luck, Harry" Hagrid whispered, as he passed.

Just as he did during the previous tasks, Bagman magically amplified his voice to address the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts! In second place, Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place, Ms. Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

The crowd went wild as the champions as Bagman called Harry and Cedric up to the maze entrance, stating that their current first place position has earned them a head start.

The instant Bagman blew his whistle Harry and Cedric hurried forward into the maze.

* * *

The hedges cast the path into darkness, forcing the two Hogwarts champions to make use of the wand lighting charm. It was about the fifty-yard mark, when they reached a fork; with Cedric going right while Harry took the left path.

 _Krum's in the maze now_ Harry noted, hearing Bagman's whistle go off for the second time. Followed by a third time as he sensed Fleur enter the hedges.

As his chosen path grew ever darker, Harry found himself grateful to Yoruichi for having him improve his ability to sense souls; it kept him from having to keep looking back for fear of having something sneak up on him.

Well perhaps it would've been a comfort if Harry had at least fun into some sort of obstacle. But from what he could tell his entire path so far was completely devoid of life. If he wasn't going to run into some kind of creature than surly he there should've been some sort of trap or something. Instead Harry couldn't help but find it unnerving as if he were expecting to have to face some sort of deadly magical construct.

And that's when he felt it: a cold sinister chill building up from within, accompanied by a foul spiritual pressure. Harry raced around the corner and saw it, a Dementor gliding toward him.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The silvery image of Nakatsukasa exploded from the tip of Harry's wand and swooped down on the Dementor, causing it to stumble on the hem of its black robes.

 _That's no Dementor_ "Riddikulus!"

There was a loud crack, revealing its true identity as a Boggart, the Dementor's form exploded in a wisp of smoke.

Harry continued on his way taking a series of turns, using the Four-Point spell to guide his way. Suddenly a scream sounded out across the maze.

"Fleur!" Harry yelled.

Locking on to her spiritual pressure, Harry followed it, finding the French quarter-veela unconscious at junction of two paths. It looked like someone had stunned her, most likely either Cedric or Krum.

 _Wait there's someone else in the maze…Prof. Moody?_ Harry sensed. _Why is he near Krum when Fleur's the one in trouble?_

Deciding to shelve the issue for now, Harry raised his wand and fired red sparks into the sky, trusting one of the patrollers to find Fleur.

Leaving Fleur behind, Harry continued through the maze running into a few dead ends along the way. And then he found it, one of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts; only now fully grown at ten feet tall. It looked more like a giant scorpion than anything else, long stinger curled over its back, and thick armor cover its body.

"Stupefy!" the spell rebounded off the skrewt's armor, back at him; Harry ducked just in time, the spell singeing his hair as it passed overhead.

Releasing a blast of fire from its backside, the skrewt rocketed towards Harry.

"Impedimenta!" he yelled, the spell once again bounced harmlessly of the monster's shell. It was obvious the skrewt's armor was too strong for Harry's magic to get through; for a moment he considered just blasting the creature with a kidō but his sense of fair play refused to let him.

The skrewt was practically on top of him, when Harry quickly changed into his animagus form. Though the wards around the maze wouldn't let him fly over the hedges, Harry's raven form did provide a fast get away as his avian form took to the sky, dodging around the skrewt's tail as he made his escape.

Using his raven form's speed and superior eyesight, Harry found it much easier to navigate the dark maze and was mentally kicking himself for not transforming sooner.

He was hurrying down his chosen path when he picked up on someone shouting from the path parallel to his own.

 _Cedric and…Krum?!_

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Cedric's voice yelled from over the hedge.

And then Harry heard Krum's voice.

"Crucio!"

The air was suddenly filled by the sound of Cedric's agonizing screams. Horrified, Harry changed back to his human form, aimed his wand at the hedge dividing them and fired a Reductor Curse. It wasn't very effective but it did make a small hole just big enough for him to slip through in his raven form.

Once on the other side, Harry returned to human form, aiming his wand at Krum, tried to run off.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, hitting Krum in the back, stopping him dead in his tracks, falling forward to lay face down in the grass. With Krum out of the way, Harry hurried to check on Cedric, who was left panting on the ground.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah" Cedric panted. "Yeah…I don't believe it…he crept up behind me…. I heard him, turned around, and he had his wand on me…."

Harry helped the still shaking Cedric to his feet and together they went to check on Krum.

"I know we didn't really know him, but he seemed alright" said Harry, looking down at Krum.

"Yeah I know. I was thought the same thing" said Cedric.

"I guess he's the one that attacked Fleur."

"You found her?"

"Yeah Krum left her unconscious. I wasn't sure what to do so I sent up some red sparks for her."

"That's good. Madam Pomfrey will take care of her. So should we just leave Krum here?"

Harry could tell that Cedric was reluctant to help Krum and he could understand why. But then he remembered how Moody had been near Krum earlier and wondered how the Bulgarian Quidditch star could've gotten his use of dark magic past one of the Ministry's top Aurors.

Still there wasn't much he could do from within the maze and he'd just feel bad if something happened if they just left Krum.

"No" said Harry. "We should send up red sparks. Someone'll come and collect him. If not he'd probably get eaten by a skrewt."

"He'd deserve it" Cedric muttered, but all the same he fired red sparks into the air, marking were Krum lay for the patrollers. "Guess it's just us now."

"Yeah guess so."

It was strange Harry thought to himself as he once again split up from Cedric. Now that it was just the two of them, Harry finally felt some desire to win the cup. Maybe it was because of how much it would mean to Hagrid, maybe it because whoever entered him obviously didn't think he could handle it. For whatever reason, Harry pushed forward wanting to give it his best effort to win the tournament.

He continued on a long straight away and until finally he saw it: The Triwizard Cup glimmering in the moonlight atop a plinth a hundred yards away. Suddenly on the other side of the cup, Cedric came running out.

It looked like it was going to be a foot race for the cup, which given his longer legs, Harry was sure Cedric was sure to win. Then suddenly Harry sensed something approaching from the path on Cedric's left, the seventh year Hufflepuff too focused on the cup to notice, the latest obstacle's threatening form.

"Cedric!" Harry yelled. "On your left!"

Cedric looked around just in time to hurl himself past the thing and avoid colliding with it, but in his haste, he tripped. Harry saw Cedric's wand fly out of his hand as a gigantic spider stepped into the path and began to bear down upon him.

Too concerned with saving Cedric's life to care, Harry tapped into his spirit energy and, "Hadō # 1: Shō!"

The force of the kidō blasted the giant spider back down the path it came.

Free of the spider, Cedric met Harry in front of the Triwizard Cup.

"You should take it, Harry" said Cedric. "That's twice now you've saved me."

"Don't worry about it" said Harry. "You would've reached the cup first if not for the spider."

"Maybe but you told me about the dragons."

"I had a little help. Plus, you helped with the egg so we're even." _Just not in the way you expected._

Cedric was about to argue further when Harry decided to put an end to it.

"Look why don't we both just take the cup together" he said. "It'll be tie and still a Hogwarts victory."

For a moment, Cedric looked as though he couldn't believe his ears.

"You're on" he grinned.

Together they grabbed hold of the Triwizard Cup. Instantly, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling color, Cedric at his side.


	20. Fear No More

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Harry felt his feet slam into the ground, legs wobbling from the trip. A groan to his right, drew his attention to Cedric, who was just getting to his feet, the Triwizard Cup lay forgotten between them.

"Did anyone tell you the cup was a portkey?" Harry asked.

"No" said Cedric.

Looking around it was obvious that they had left the Hogwarts grounds far behind; they must've traveled hundreds maybe thousands of miles from the castle. For even the mountains surrounding the castle grounds were gone; in their place was a dark and overgrown graveyard. In the background Harry could make out the outline of what looked to be an old house on a hillside.

"Maybe it's part of the trial" Cedric suggested. Though his nervous tone didn't make him sound confident about the idea. "I'm thinking wands out."

"Yeah" Harry agreed.

Wands at the ready, they moved through the cemetery, searching for any sign of life. Though as they searched Harry couldn't help but notice how strangely empty the graveyard was. Ordinarily they were overrun with numerous spirits. So why was this one so empty?

Then without warning, Harry's scar exploded with pain. Beyond agonizing, he dropped his wand, knees buckled beneath him, leaving him on the ground, eyes clenched shut, as the pain felt like his skull would split open.

"Harry? Harry what's wrong?" Cedric asked, worried about the younger boy's sudden pain. He tried to see if he could help but Cedric couldn't even figure out what was wrong let alone how to fix it.

His senses dulled by pain; Harry failed to notice another presence until it was too late.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A blast of green light blazed through Harry's eyelids. He heard something heavy fall to the ground beside him, as the pain in his scar grew so intense, he puked. And then just as quickly as it came, the pain suddenly dimed to a dull throb. Terrified of what he was about to see, Harry opened his eyes.

Cedric's body laid lifeless beside him.

What came next for Harry was rage; someone had killed Cedric, cut his human life short, and he wasn't going to let them get away with it.

Forcing himself to his feet, Harry ignored the once again steadily increasing throbbing in his scar, instead focusing on finding Cedric's murderer.

He instantly zeroed in on a short figure wearing a hooded cloak, hiding amongst the graves. Harry could see the figure's wand in one hand and in the other, they seemed to be carrying what might be a baby, wrapped in overgrown robes. There was something strange about the infant, something that just felt wrong and twisted; as for the cloaked figure, Harry easily recognized their soul.

"Pettigrew!" Harry growled, as the pain in his scar returned to agonizing levels.

Pettigrew didn't respond, instead he fired a spell at Harry, who instinctively dived out of the way, grabbed his wand and returned fire "Stupefy!"

A red streak of light fired from Harry's wand, in response Pettigrew threw up a hastily done shield charm, staggering back as the boy's spell crashed violently against it.

Knowing one thing, Pettigrew could never hope to defend against, Harry started to focus his spirit energy when suddenly the pain in his scar spiked; the pain grew so intense his vision was actually starting to blur.

Harry couldn't understand it; Pettigrew hadn't hit him with a spell and usually Nakatsukasa could protect his mind from attacks.

 _Nakatsukasa…. Nakatsukasa?_ Why wasn't his zanpakutō spirit answering. Something was definitely wrong. But before Harry could even try to think about what to do next, his now pain dulled reflexes, left him too slow to avoid Pettigrew's stunner and Harry's word turned black.

* * *

Harry awoke gagged and bound to a headstone, unable to move he could only watch as Pettigrew struggled to push a large stone cauldron to the foot of the grave, next to the baby the escaped convict was carrying. Suddenly a hissing noise caught Harry's attention, directing him to the large snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone, slithering away the instant Pettigrew lit a fire under the stone cauldron.

 _That snake felt like a Hollow?_ Now that he thought about it, Pettigrew's baby felt similar to a Hollow only somehow more twisted and unstable.

The baby seemed to be getting agitated, kicking around inside the adult sized robes. Harry watched it, and his scar once more seared with pain...his every instinct was telling him he needed to destroy it….it was some kind of abomination. Then he heard a high, cold voice speak out.

" _Hurry!"_

The liquid in the stone cauldron had come to a boil, somehow actually firing of sparks of magical energy.

"It is ready, Master" said Pettigrew.

" _Now"_ said the cold voice.

The pain in Harry's scar spiked as Pettigrew pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what laid inside. There was absolutely no way it was human. It was hairless and scaly looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. It's arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face was flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.

Pettigrew carried the creature to the cauldron, placing it inside; there was a hissing as it vanished beneath the surface, hitting the bottom with a soft thud.

 _Let it drown_ , Harry thought, his scar burning almost past endurance. _Please…let it drown._

Shaking with fright, Pettigrew raised his wand and spoke out into the night.

" _ **Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"**_

The ground beneath Harry's feet split open, as a fine trickle of dust rose out from the grave and fell softly into the cauldron; the potion within firing off numerous sparks as it turned a vivid poisonous looking blue.

Now whimpering, Pettigrew pulled a long, thin, silver dagger from his cloak.

" _ **Flesh… of the servant…w-willingly given... you will…. revive… your master"**_ he spoke, his voice breaking into sobs.

Harry watched as Pettigrew let out a horrific scream, as he cut off his own right hand, dropping it into the cauldron, potion turning violent blood red.

Gasping and moaning with agony, Pettigrew approached Harry speaking out the next step of his twisted ritual.

" _ **B-blood of the enemy . . . forcibly taken . . . you will . . . resurrect your foe."**_

Harry struggled as he now realized what Pettigrew intended to do, but his bindings wouldn't budge. _If I could just get an arm free._

He was powerless to defend himself as Pettigrew brought the knife down, when suddenly a light burst free from his combat pass. The knife never reached Harry as his entire body was encased inside a barrier.

"Master!" Pettigrew screamed, as a surge of energy from the barrier burned his hand to a crisp.

 _Mom's protection_ Harry realized. During his first trip to the Soul Society, Lily had taken the combat pass from him. At the time she had explained she had the badge's full functions activated, but now Harry realized that his mother had taken the time to strengthen the protection against Voldemort to include contact with marked Death Eaters.

" _Do not fail me, Wormtail!"_ the creature hissed from within the cauldron, obviously it hadn't drowned.

Whatever the creature was Pettigrew clearly feared it more than he did Lily's protection, as the traitor forced his blackened hand around the handle of knife and forced himself to endure as the kidō barrier slowly burned him alive, as he managed to make a small cut across Harry's right arm.

With half of his body a sickeningly charred black, Pettigrew stumbled over to the cauldron letting Harry's blood drip off the end of the knife blade into the potion. The liquid instantly turned a blind white, while Pettigrew, his job done dropped to the ground beside the cauldron, curled up into a ball, gasping and sobbing from the pain.

A suddenly a thick steam rose from the cauldron blocking Harry's vision. Through the mist he was just able to make out the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin rising slowly out of the cauldron.

"Robe me," said the high, cold voice from behind the steam, and Pettigrew, sobbing and moaning, forced his mutilated body to move, picked up the discarded robes and pulled them one-handed over his master's head.

The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, staring at Harry and he stared back into a face he hadn't seen in three years. Pale white skin, with sinister glowing red eyes, and a flat snake like nose with slits for nostrils…. Lord Voldemort had returned.

"Harry Potter" Voldemort hissed, looking pleased by the boy's presence. "It is fitting for you to be here at the scene of my rebirth."

Harry didn't look away refusing to show weakness, ignoring the throbbing pain of scar, he focused only on his hate for the thing standing before him, for Voldemort was certainly less than a human being. If he had to describe it, Harry would say that the Dark Lord's soul though resembling a Hollow's was broken and twisted, even nauseating to his senses.

"M…my L…Lord" Pettigrew choked.

"Hold out your arm" Voldemort said lazily.

He extended his still bleeding stump, but Voldemort simply laughed.

"The other arm, Wormtail."

To the Dark Lord's frustration Wormtail did not do as commanded, having just then fallen dead, having succumbed to his wounds.

"Pitiful" Voldemort hissed, forcing the left sleeve of Pettigrew's robes past his elbows, revealing his Dark Mark. "It's back, they will all have noticed it" he said softly, before turning his gaze back to Harry. "Now Harry, shall we see.…. shall we see who dares to answer the call."

Harry's scar seared with pain as Voldemort pressed a long bony finger to the mark on Pettigrew's arm.

With a look of cruel satisfaction on his face, Voldemort threw back his head, taking in the sight of the dark graveyard with his own eyes. "How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" he whispered, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"

* * *

Unaware of the danger Harry has found himself in Ginny, Hermione, and Ron sat in the stands back at Hogwarts, concerned by how long it was taking for the third task to finish.

"Shouldn't it have been over by now" said Ginny.

"Now, Ginny I'm sure they're fine" said Mrs. Weasley, though it was obvious she was worried about Harry too, the sight of Dumbledore seemed to calm her. "Dumbledore and the other professors won't let anything happen."

"Exactly, they've already carried out the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons champions" said Bill. "I'm sure if he were in trouble, Harry would've been rescued too."

Despite her mother and eldest brother's assurances Ginny couldn't help the foreboding feeling in her stomach, as if something terrible was happening. A glance at Ron and Hermione told her that they were feeling the same way.

Remembering what Yoruichi had taught them about seeking out spiritual pressures the three tried to sense out Harry's location. While not as good adapt in its use as Harry, they did manage to pick up on more than just the overpowering soul of Yoruichi.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione traded frightened looks as none of them were able to pick up on Harry's spiritual pressure; Harry wasn't anywhere on the grounds. Deciding to investigate, they got to their feet and started make their way out of the stands.

"Where are you going?" Mrs. Weasley asked, but the children weren't listening.

"I'm sure they're just trying to calm down" said Remus, getting up to follow them. "Sirius and I will go check on them. Molly and Bill just stay and watch for Harry."

Mrs. Weasley started to stand, not about to leave two of her children and Hermione who she's accepted as one of her own to fend for themselves, when Bill pulled her back down to her seat.

"Mom, I'm sure they'll be ok" said Bill. "Sirius is Harry's godfather I'm sure he and Remus will calm them down." _Plus, they might not be in the mood for hugs._ Bill loved his mother but sometimes she needed to relax and not feel like she had to take care of everyone, all the time.

* * *

"So what's wrong?" asked Remus, as he and Sirius caught up to the kids as they gathered on the perimeter of the tournament site.

"We're going to go look for Yoruichi" said Ron.

"The Soul Reaper that's been helping Harry, why?" asked Sirius.

"He's not in the maze" said Hermione. "In fact no one is."

"This has to be it. Whoever entered Harry is making his move" said Remus.

"We're hoping, Yoruichi can help us find Harry" said Ginny.

"Bet I know who can take us to him" Sirius growled, his eyes narrowing as he noticed a certain Death Eater headmaster sneaking away. "Awfully strange for a headmaster to just take off and leave their student behind, eh Moony?"

"You have a good point there, Padfoot" Remus said grimly.

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were surprised by the absolutely bloodthirsty look in the two marauders' eyes. Harry was in danger and as they watched them stalk after Karkaroff, they had no doubt that Sirius and Remus were willing to go to any lengths to protect him.

Deciding to follow after them, they prayed that wherever he was Harry would prove strong enough to survive what challenge he was facing.

* * *

With Pettigrew dead the magic holding his bindings faded and Harry, removing his gag stood fearlessly before Voldemort, a cruel smile on the Dark Lord's lips.

"It is strange how even a pathetic muggle can have its uses" he hissed. "You see, Harry Potter, you stand upon the remains of my late father, a pathetic fool, though he did prove useful in death."

Voldemort laughed, spreading his arms wide as he gestured to the whole graveyard, while his snake circled around his feet.

"You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was. He didn't like magic, my father.

He left her and returned to his muggle parents before I was even born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a muggle orphanage, but I vowed to find him. I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name… _Tom Riddle_."

"Why the trip down memory lane?" said Harry.

"I suppose I'm growing sentimental" said Voldemort. "After all isn't that what brought us here, our family histories. Ah but it seems my **true** family has arrived."

The air was suddenly filled with the sound of swishing cloaks as all over the graveyard, wizards were Apparating, all of them wearing the uniform of the Death Eaters. One by one they moved forward…slowly, cautiously, as though they couldn't believe their eyes…their Dark Lord had returned.

Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled over to Voldemort, and kissed the hem of his black robes.

"Master…Master" he muttered.

The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each of them approaching Voldemort on their knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, enclosed around Tom Riddle's grave, Harry and Voldemort.

"Welcome, Death Eaters," Voldemort said quietly. "Thirteen years…. thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or perhaps not?"

A shiver ran through the circle, as each member feared what their Dark Lord would do.

"I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact; such prompt appearances! So I must ask myself: why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty? Perhaps they believed me broken, they thought I was gone.

So they slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, ignorance, and bewitchment. And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?

And I answer myself, perhaps they have abandoned me. Perhaps they now pay allegiance to another… perhaps that champion of commoners, of mudbloods and muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the members of the circle stirred, muttering and shaking their heads. One of the men flung himself forward, breaking the circle, trembling as he kneeled at Voldemort's feet.

"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!"

Voldemort laughed as he raised his wand. "Crucio!"

Harry watched as the Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked in agony, until Voldemort stopped the curse.

"Get up, Avery" he said softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen years…I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you" the Dark Lord then levitated Pettigrew's corpse for all of them to see. "Wormtail here was willing to give his life in an attempt to earn my forgiveness. I expect the same of you all.

It is a shame that the Lestranges are not amongst us, for their loyalty they shall be freed from Azkaban and honored beyond their dreams. The Dementors will join us…they are our natural allies. We will recall the banished giants; I shall have my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear.

Though six Death Eaters remain missing, three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return…he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever…he will be killed, of course…and one, who has proven to be my most faithful servant, and has already reentered my service."

 _Snape!_ Harry thought venomously, promising to make the man pay once he dealt with Voldemort.

"He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here tonight…yes" said Voldemort, his eyes glowing as he focused on Harry. "One might go so far as to say Harry Potter is my guest of honor."

The Death Eaters were silent, until one of the masked wizards stepped forward, and Lucius Malfoy spoke from behind his mask.

"Master, we crave to know…we beg you to tell us…how you have achieved this…this miracle…how you managed to return to us."

Ah, what a story it is, Lucius," said Voldemort. "And it begins and ends, with my young friend here."

Voldemort started to walk lazily towards Harry, his snake following like a loyal puppy.

"You know, of course that they have called this boy my downfall" he said softly, red eyes staring into Harry's green. "But we know that isn't entirely true, don't we Harry?"

The Death Eaters remained silent, though it was obvious that all of them were curious as to what their master was talking about.

I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. For the woman I dismissed as nothing more than a mudblood was something much more. Something I must admit was too powerful even for your Lord."

The Death Eaters traded looks unable to comprehend someone, anyone, let alone a muggleborn woman having the power to vanquish their Dark Lord. None had the nerve to ask.

"I remember only forcing myself, sleeplessly, endlessly, second by second, to exist…I settled in a faraway place, in a forest, and I waited…Surely, one of my faithful Death Eaters would try and find me…one of them would come and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body…but I waited in vain."

Voldemort paused to enjoy the obvious fear pouring off his Death Eaters, before continuing.

"Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me.

I sometimes inhabited animals, snakes being my preference, but I was little better off, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic…and none of their bodies lasted long.

Then four years ago the means of my return seemed assured. A foolish wizard wandered across my path, a teacher at Dumbledore's school, he was easy to bend to my will. He returned me to this country, and I took possession of his body to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my plan failed. I did not manage to steal the Philosopher's Stone. I was not to be assured immortality. It seems the son takes after his mother, for I was thwarted by Harry Potter.

His mother had left a protection around her son, truly impressive how it has remained potent after all these years."

To make his point, Voldemort reached out towards Harry, only to pull his hand back once Lily's kidō activated to defend him.

The Death Eaters' eyes widened as none of them had ever seen such magic, powerful enough to ward off even their master.

"Yes, a truly potent protection so that I and none that bare my mark may even touch him. It was this very protection that proved to be my servants end and I was forced to return to my hiding place far away, having given up hope that any of my Death Eaters cared what had become of me."

One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved uncomfortably, but Voldemort took no notice.

"And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened at last . . . a servant returned to me. Wormtail, who having escaped from Azkaban had decided to return to his master.

During his journey Wormtail came across one Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic. Displaying a presence of mind, I would never have expected from him, brought Bertha Jorkins to me, and with a little persuasion became a veritable mine of information.

She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be played at Hogwarts this year. She told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. Having served her purpose, I disposed of her.

Wormtail proved useful as an able-bodied servant, despite the poor wizard he was, he was able to follow my instructions, which returned me to a rudimentary weak body. A body I would be able to inhabit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth. A spell or two of my own invention and a little help from my dear Nagini" Voldemort's eyes fell upon the still circling snake.

"A potion concocted from unicorn blood, and the snake venom Nagini provided; I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel.

Using Bertha Jorkins' information, I had my one faithful Death Eater, stationed at Hogwarts, to ensure Harry Potter's name was entered into the Goblet of Fire, and ensured he'd be the one to reach the Triwizard Cup, which had been turned into a portkey, which brought him here into my waiting arms.

Where using an old piece of Dark Magic I was restored. But you can feel it can't you, Harry? You can feel that my trials have marked me, strengthened me beyond anything a wizard has ever shown before."

Harry just glared at Voldemort, refusing to participate in his gloating, instead his hand slowly started to reach for the combat pass around his neck.

"Yes the protection around Harry Potter is great, truly a testament to the power need to vanquish Lord Voldemort. But I have yet to explain to you my Death Eaters just what powers I speak of"

The Death Eaters remained silent as their Lord spread his arms out.

"Lily Potter was no mere mudblood, in fact she held the very powers of death" said Voldemort, while a few of the Death Eaters were silently wondering if their Lord had lost his mind during his time as a disembodied spirit. "I sense your doubts and I confess that when Wormtail tried to tell me as such, I dismissed it. But your Dark Lord speaks true; I speak of those spoken of in whispers of only the darkest and most ancient of grimoires. Those that even the most powerful of Dark Wizards would not dare to challenge, the Reapers.

It stands to reason that only such a being could ever best your Lord. And the fool Wormtail had informed me that this very power had been passed down to Harry Potter. The very same power I believe he used to capture a number of you at the Quidditch World Cup."

Now a small number of the Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy were looking at Harry differently, thinking that perhaps their master spoke true. It would certainly spare the Malfoy head's ego.

Now the question was, what power did Voldemort gain during his struggles to regain a body?

"There is but one problem, the protection your mother had left for you, Harry. But I have no doubt you'll cast it aside and face me" said the Dark Lord, holding up his hand to display a gold ring inset with a black stone. There was a slight glimmer from the stone, and suddenly the sky tore open as a trio of Gillians entered the graveyard, standing on the outer rim of the circle of Death Eaters.

"M…My Lord, what are these creatures?" asked one the Death Eaters.

"Fear not, your Lord now also holds power over death" said Voldemort, somehow directing the Gillians to focus their attention on Harry. "These Hollows will serve as Potter's motivation."

Together the Gillians prepared to unleash Cero blasts, when suddenly their heads were sliced clean off. Voldemort didn't care though, instead a sinister smile spread across the Dark Lord's lips, as he and his Death Eaters watched as Harry now stood before them in Soul Reaper form.

As Harry released his spiritual pressure, the Death Eaters were left terrified as they were forced to their knees under the weight of the boy's power. Only Voldemort stood unaffected.

"Yes Harry come and I will show you; I fear the Reaper no more."


	21. Graveyard Duel

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

As Harry released his spiritual pressure, the Death Eaters were left terrified as they were forced to their knees under the weight of the boy's power. Only Voldemort stood unaffected.

"Yes Harry come and I will show you; I fear the Reaper no more."

"I'll fix that!" Harry roared, vanishing from sight.

The next thing anyone saw was Harry standing behind Voldemort, his zanpakutō in hand, dripping with the Dark Lord's blood as the wizard's right arm fell to ground.

The Death Eaters couldn't believe their eyes; the speed of which Harry had closed the distance between them and sliced off Voldemort's arm was frightening. There was no doubt that should their master fall, Harry would be coming for them next.

But while his followers were certainly afraid, Voldemort was strangely unresponsive, something that was certainly discomforting for Harry.

 _I don't get it; I lop off his arm and he's just standing there as if nothing's happened._ Harry was pulled from his thoughts as Voldemort turned to face him.

"Yes truly an impressive display, Harry Potter" said the Dark Lord. "You have certainly inherited your mother's power."

"Yeah and I'll use all of it to tear you apart" Harry declared.

"I already told you, I have no reason to fear." Harry's eyes widened in shock as the flesh of Voldemort's severed arm started to bubble and stretch out to reconnect to his body.

 _High-speed regeneration_ Harry cursed. _Fine nothing I can't handle._ "Ain-Soph-Aur!"

With a swing of his zanpakutō, Harry unleashed the devastating energy wave. Voldemort surprised him by waving his wand, casting a shield charm Attempting to defend himself against the deadly attack. While thinking it strange that a Hollow would be able to use magic, Harry didn't let it worry him as his Ain-Soph-Aur, overwhelmed Voldemort's shield engulfing the Dark Lord.

"Master!" the Death Eaters cried, as their Dark Lord was surely reduced to ashes. Though many were simply fearful that they would be next.

* * *

Karkaroff couldn't deny the growing feeling of dread as he snuck away from the third task. The instant he saw Viktor Krum after he removed from the hedge maze, the former Death Eater recognized the signs. The Imperius Curse had been cast on his student; the familiar tint of Dark magic radiated from the boy. The fact that only the two Hogwarts champions

His greatest fear was realized and he needed to escape now, before he too met his end. He had made it half way to the end of the Hogwarts' grounds when suddenly he was knocked to the ground by a large, growling, black dog.

"Alright, Padfoot I got him" said Remus, aiming his wand at Karkaroff, as he walked up followed by Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Karkaroff bellowed, as Padfoot stepped off him, transforming back into Sirius.

"We just thought it odd, a school headmaster would leave their injured student behind" said Remus.

"That we did, Moony" said Sirius, adding his wand to Remus' efforts to pin the Durmstrang Headmaster.

"I don't have time for this" said Karkaroff, trying to push past the two marauders, as he clutched his now burning left forearm.

"Hold on there, Karkaroff" said Remus, barring his path, wand pointed right between the man's eyes. "What's got you so worked up?"

"There's no time for this! Let me through now!"

"Just answer the man" said Sirius. "And maybe we'll think about letting you go."

"There's no time!" Karkaroff bellowed, but Sirius and Remus stood their ground, wands held at the ready should he try to draw his own.

"It has something to do with your Dark Mark, doesn't it?" Hermione spoke up, not even flinching as Karkaroff gave her the most hateful glare.

"Keep your mouth shut" he spat, looking at Hermione as if she were no better than an insect.

"I'd watch your tone if I were you" Sirius growled, jabbing his wand into Karkaroff's chest. "Now cut the attitude and let's see that mark."

Karkaroff struggled against Sirius, as the ex-con pulled at the sleeve of his rob. His struggling ended up working against him as the sleeve tore, revealing Karkaroff's Dark Mark for them all to see.

"The Dark Lord has returned" Karkaroff admitted. "Now get out of my way. He'll have me killed."

"I don't think so" said Remus. "You're coming with us to see Dumbledore."

Karkaroff was livid. He was trying to run for his life; it was clear to him now that somehow Potter's entry into the tournament had been the work of his former master. And now that Voldemort had returned, he knew his betrayal would see him killed.

This didn't matter to Sirius or Remus, who kept their wands on him as they walked back to the castle. Dumbledore needed to be told about what was happening. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny on the other hand decided it was time to split off from the marauders; they needed to find Yoruichi, believing the powerful Soul Reaper would be able to help them.

* * *

 _That's weird_ Harry noted. Ignoring the frightened cries of the Death Eaters, he focused on the aftermath of his Ain-Soph-Aur. Despite feeling his attack connect, he couldn't sense any change in Voldemort's spiritual pressure. He would've thought that somehow he had dodged his attack but when the smoke cleared there was nothing left but the hand wearing the black stone ring.

Then it happened. Harry's eyes widened in shock as the black stone started to glow with power and started to give off traces of spirit energy. The ring rose into the air as the spirits who normally dwelled inside the graveyard came pouring out of the stone, writhing in agony.

Before Harry could move to help them the spirits gave out one last ear piercing scream before they were enveloped by a dark aura from the stone, before bursting out violently, knocking him back as the surge generated a small tornado. When the dust cleared, Voldemort was left standing perfectly healed, with the black stone now imbedded in the back of his wand hand.

"Now you see, Lord Voldemort is beyond even death" the Dark Lord proclaimed, as his followers cheered their master's survival.

Harry just found it sickening as he realized that somehow Voldemort's stone had used those innocent souls as fuel for his resurrection.

"You, you bastard!" Harry roared, war drums banging in his head, his eyes slowly showing signs of Hollowfication. He was right there and yet he was powerless to save any of them. He couldn't allow this to go unpunished.

He dashed forward, planning to slice straight through the stone. But Voldemort wasn't about to allow the source of his newly acquired healing powers come to harm; raising his wand, the Dark Lord silently cast a spell, sending black lighting at the approaching Soul Reaper.

Blocking with his zanpakutō, Harry was surprised by the force behind the spell as he found himself being pushed back.

 _No way did he have this much power before_ , Harry remarked, struggling against the Dark Lord's spell. _It's got to be that rock._

Digging in his heels, Harry released a burst of spirit energy, knocking the spell to the side. Flashing stepping in front of Voldemort, Harry brought his sword down on the Dark wizard, who quickly responded with a shield charm, protecting his stone, while the force of Harry's attack knocked the Dark Lord into the air.

Following up his attack, Harry used flash step to appear above Voldemort, the blade of his zanpakutō crackling with energy. "Ain-Soph-Aur!"

Firing the energy wave, Harry watched as his attack engulfed Voldemort as the Dark Wizard was sent crashing into the ground. Not wanting to risk the black stone reviving him again, Harry followed up with a second Ain-Soph-Aur attack, scaring the graveyard further with a large crater, where he was sure he'd find the broken remains of the black stone, if it wasn't turned to ash.

But to his horror the stone and subsequently Voldemort had survived his attacks. Though from his empty hand, it was clear that Harry had at least managed to destroy the Dark Lord's wand.

"A pity" Voldemort commented, holding what little remained of his wand. Tossing it aside the wizard turned his attention to the stunned Death Eaters. "Which of you will be the first to offer their wand, to your Lord?"

Not waiting for a response Voldemort, lazily waved his hand summoning a wand from one of his followers, not caring whose it was. With a wave of his borrowed wand, the Dark Lord conjured a massive flame; it was no ordinary fire as it quickly formed a gigantic serpent.

"Let us see how you handle my Fiendfyre" said Voldemort, commanding his fire serpent to attack.

Once again Harry was surprised by the power that Voldemort was able to summon, struggling to block the Dark wizard's enchanted flame, with his zanpakutō. Finding he was unable to knock back the Fiendfyre, Harry escaped from the serpent's fiery grasp with flash step, reappearing off to the side.

Harry charged for Voldemort but the Dark Wizard seemed to have expected this, as with another flick of his wand he summoned for enchanted fire, blasting the Substitute Soul Reaper with his hellish flames, taking great pleasure as Harry screamed out as the dark fire burned. With another flick of his wand, he brought his fire serpent back around, catching Harry in the back and sending him crashing down to earth.

"Behold" Voldemort called to his Death Eaters. "Your Lord has brought down a Reaper. You see now that Lord Voldemort is beyond even death."

"Shut up!" Harry roared, emerging from the Fiendfyre. Half of his top had been burned off, revealing seared flesh, and remnants of the Fiendfyre still licked at what remained of his robes. But despite his injuries he refused to stay down, extinguishing the flames as he released a massive burst of spirit energy, shining out like a pillar of light in the dark night. "I'm not done."

While his followers, coward at the display of power, Voldemort ever calmly stood his ground, beckoning Harry forward.

He didn't disappoint as he charged forward. Voldemort prepared to launch a counter attack when to his surprise, Harry smirked and called out "Mick!"

Catching the Dark Lord by surprise, Harry's until now forgotten human body rose up and grabbed hold off him. Voldemort screamed out as Lily's protection burned him alive, only to be brought back by the power of his black stone; the process repeating in a torturous cycle.

The Death Eaters weren't sure what to think about the second Harry Potter attacking their Lord, and were all hesitant to get involved in the increasingly stranger growing battle.

On his part Harry was certain that his mother's protection would be enough to finish Voldemort, as he made his final approach to retrieve the black stone; without it he was sure that the Dark Lord would be reduced to ash and he could go about finding a way to free the captive souls inside.

* * *

"Ah I had wondered where you ran off, Prof. Karkaroff" said Dumbledore, as Sirius and Remus marched the Durmstrang Headmaster over, the man was taking careful care to keep his left forearm covered, and was looking very nervous.

"Dumbledore get these two away from me!" Karkaroff bellowed.

"Quiet Karkaroff" Sirius ordered, before turning his attention to Dumbledore. "He's got something he wants to show you."

With Sirius keeping his wand at Karkaroff's back, Remus forced the Durmstrang Headmaster's hand away from his forearm, showing off the man's Dark Mark.

"I was afraid of this" Dumbledore said grimly. "Severus has spoken to me about the mark growing clearer."

"Oh and Snivellus, didn't think to share that Harry would be in danger?" Sirius scoffed. "Awfully convenient, he isn't here."

"Now Sirius, I've told you that Severus has…"

"Yeah, Yeah, he's really sorry about being a Death Eater."

Dumbledore chose not to comment on Sirius' disbelief at Snape's redemption; the ex-con had been told plenty about how the man has treated his godson since he started Hogwarts.

"Sirius, now isn't the time" said Remus. "We need to focus on finding out, what's happened to Harry."

"Something's happened to Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "I thought, he and Mr. Diggory were still in the hedge maze?"

"Not according to his friends" said Sirius.

"Is this what this is about?!" Karkaroff snarled, reminding them of his presence. "Potter's friends get scared and you two decide to assault a visiting headmaster!"

"Prof. Karkaroff, I assure you I take my students' concerns very seriously" said Dumbledore. "I'll summon, Alastor and ask him to search for Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory. In the meantime, why don't you, wait inside the castle, Professor? I'm sure your students are worried about Mr. Krum and could use your support."

"I'll walk him, up" said Remus, concerned that Karkaroff would use the opportunity to runoff again.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured his phoenix shaped patronus, sending it with a message for Mad-Eye, who arrived soon after.

"Alastor, there have been some concerns about the safety of our two Hogwarts champions" said Dumbledore.

"And you, want me to look for them" said Mad-Eye, catching on quickly. The grizzled ex-Auror turned his gaze to the hedge maze, his electric blue enchanted eye, actually stopped spinning and instead focused entirely on the task. "Don't see anyone, Dumbledore."

"Are you certain, Alastor?"

Mad-Eye gave Dumbledore a look that said "Are you seriously going to ask me that?"

"Forgive me, Alastor" said the Hogwarts Headmaster.

"Where's Karkaroff?" Moody grunted, choosing to dismiss Dumbledore's apology. "Wouldn't put it past the Death Eater to know something about this. Of course there's Snape, too."

"At least I'm not the only one not buying into Snape's transformation" said Sirius.

"That's enough, Sirius" Dumbledore chastised. "Alastor, Remus is bringing Prof. Karkaroff to his students. You can find them waiting in the great hall."

Mad-Eye grunted and walked off, to interrogate Karkaroff.

* * *

Voldemort screamed in agony as Lily's protection continued to burn him alive. His Death Eaters stood uselessly on the sidelines, none of them daring to take action in his duel with Harry Potter. That the boy would dare to stand before him, so sure of victory filled the Dark Lord with an all-consuming rage.

As the Substitute Soul Reaper reached out to take the black stone something in Voldemort snapped as Lily's protection burned away at his addition to the black stone.

"Argh!" Voldemort screamed, as a massive surge of energy was released from his body blasting back Harry and Mick. Voldemort wasn't the only one in pain as each of his Death Eaters clutched their Dark Marks in agony as they reacted to their master's suffering.

"Boss!" Mick called, righting himself the mod-soul was shocked to see Harry clutching at his forehead in agony.

"M…Mick" Harry struggled, his head felt like it was being split open from the inside out. His entire body felt like it was going through a blender as the pain spread out from his scar. Harry's vision began to blur as he struggled to his feet, his hands barely able to hold his zanpakutō.

It came as a relief when his faithful mod-soul allowed offered to let him lean on him. Together they watched as Voldemort's spiritual pressure changed to further resemble that of a Hollow's.

"It seems your mother's protection has failed you, Potter" Voldemort said at last, dropping the now broken pieces of his combat pass on the ground.

Harry pushed Mick behind him, not wanting to risk the mod-soul or his body's safety. His arms were shaking under the strain as his body protested against fighting further. Stubbornly, the Substitute Soul Reaper stood his ground

 _I just have to get that stone and then he's mine._

But it wouldn't be that simple, for while Harry was exhausted the power of the black stone had restored Voldemort to full strength. To the Substitute Soul Reaper's surprise, the Dark Lord didn't cast another spell instead he simply raised his hand, pointing his index at the boy.

Harry's eyes widened in shock as a Cero started to form at the end of Voldemort's finger. Planning to counter with a blast of his own, Harry started to focus his spirit energy. But when it came time to swing Harry found that he couldn't move his arms or any part of his body.

Ice cold terror struck his heart as Harry found himself completely defenseless. No matter how he struggled his body refused to move. As if things weren't bad enough the situation worsened as suddenly black veins started to spread out over the sword, leaving cracks in the metal and giving it a rusted appearance.

"W…What?" Harry gasped, as Nakatsukasa's blade disintegrated leaving him holding nothing but the hilt.

"It seems even that power has left you" Voldemort hissed, his voice laced with sadistic pleasure. "Goodbye, Harry Potter."

With his body refusing to move, Harry was powerless as Voldemort fired his Cero. Mick rushed forward to try and pull him out to safety but it was clear that the mod-soul wouldn't be fast enough to save them both. Just as it appeared to be the end for them a man appeared out of nowhere, standing between them and the Cero blast.

"Scream Benihime!" the man commanded, holding out his sword in a defensive position, summoning a crimson colored hexagon-shaped barrier to form between him and the Cero, blocking the attack completely.

"Seems we made it in time" said Yoruichi, surprising Harry as she suddenly appeared behind him. "So what do you make of him, Kisuke?"

 _Another Soul Reaper_ Harry realized, identifying Kisuke's sword as a zanpakutō.

Benihime was a medium length sword with a straight slim blade, colored black with a silver edge, with the tip ending in a slanted razor-sharp edge. A U-shape guard covered three inches of blade, with a flower petal design at the base. The hilt's grip, covered in black-decorative wrapping, bended forward at the end, with a crimson tassel dangling off the pommel at its base.

As for the man himself Harry found himself finding Kisuke's choice of wooden clogs and green and white striped bucket hat rather peculiar. Though it was still easier to look at a lot of wizards' personal fashion choices.

Harry wasn't the only one taking in the new comers' appearances. Voldemort himself wasn't sure what to think; given his choice of weapon and the method of their arrival, the Dark Lord correctly assumed Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi were Soul Reapers. So now Voldemort had to ask himself was it wise to challenge the two of them. Of course he hadn't forgotten about his still present Death Eaters, who were silently waiting for their master's orders.

"That's an interesting stone" said Kisuke, drawing the Dark Lord from his thoughts. "I must admit I didn't expect to see something like that here."

"And who are you to speak to Lord Voldemort in such a manner?" the Dark Lord demanded.

"Oh, I'm no one important" Urahara said casually. "I'm just a small time candy shop owner."

"We best take care of this Kisuke" said Yoruichi.

"Right."

Angered by their easy dismissal of him, Voldemort raised his borrowed wand intending to cast FiendFyre, but before he could the Dark Lord found his arm caught in Yoruichi's grip. Stunned by the incredible speed, Voldemort was brought to heel as the former Stealth Force commander, twisted his arm flipped him over her shoulder and slammed the Dark Lord down painfully into the ground.

Seeing their Lord in danger the Death Eaters finally snapped out of their stupor, unleashing a barrage of spell fire aimed at Yoruichi. To their surprise, Urahara flashed stepped in front of his longtime friend and held his zanpakutō out as he called out

"Scream Benihime!" Just as before the crimson colored barrier formed in front of Kisuke, defending him but this time the eccentric candy shop owner had another trick up his sleeve. "Kirisaki, Benihime!" at his command a barrage of energy bullets fired out from his shield forcing the Death Eaters to scatter and conjured barriers as those too slow to react fell victim to Urahara's counter attack.

Harry watched wide eyed as Yoruichi and Kisuke easily fought off both Voldemort and his Death Eaters, a part of him loathing his own inability to finish the job, as he clutched the hilt of what was his zanpakutō.

Yoruichi having guessed from Kisuke's earlier comment that it was important reached to pry the black stone out of Voldemort's hand, when suddenly Nagini decided to remind them all of her presence as the great serpent struck at the were cat's hand. While the snake was fast Yoruichi was faster as she easily batted Nagini away. Still this proved an effective distraction for Voldemort who used the chance to transform himself into smoke; slipping out from underneath Yoruichi and reformed by his Death Eaters.

"What shall we do, my Lord?" asked one of the Death Eaters, not liking their chances against the two powerful newcomers.

As much as he was loathed to admit it Voldemort knew that taking on both Yoruichi and Urahara was a losing battle.

"Retreat for now, Potter is too well protected for now" he commanded.

As Voldemort and his Death Eaters began to apparate out of the graveyard, Urahara swung his zanpakutō releasing a crimson colored energy wave from Benihime, striking at the Dark Lord's hand just as he teleported away.

Kisuke examined where the Dark Lord once stood, finding a broken shard of the black stone, a result of his last attack. Pocketing the stone fragment for later study he turned to face the others.

"Well guess that's the end of that" he said casually. "We best get Harry back to Hogwarts."

As if in agreement, Harry finally allowed himself to pass out from the combination of exhaustion as the pain in his scar began to dull.


	22. The Reveal

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

After splitting from Remus and Sirius, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione went in search of Yoruichi. Turns out the she was well aware of what had happened, having been monitoring Harry's spiritual pressure over the course of the third task. Though they were surprised by Urahara's presence, they didn't dwell on it as Yoruichi promised the worried teens that they would make sure that Harry returned safely.

With no other choice they returned outside to wait for any sign of Harry. They waited for what felt like an eternity until finally they saw Harry appear unconscious just outside the hedge maze, his clothes soaked with blood. In his hand was the Triwizard Cup and at his side was an unmoving Cedric Diggory.

Worried about their friend, they rushed down the field not caring who they had to knock over to get to Harry.

They weren't they only one's as other people poured onto the field, including Dumbledore, Sirius, and Minister Fudge. All of whom were clearly shocked and confused as to how Harry had gotten into such a state.

"Harry! Harry!" Sirius cried, trying to wake his godson. But Harry didn't even twitch, only the steady rise and fall of his chest let them know he was alive. Nearby, the Minister was

"My God, Diggory!" Fudge whispered horrified. "Dumbledore, he's dead!"

The words were repeated by the surrounding students building into a panic, until they all started shouting "He's dead! Cedric Diggory! Dead!" into the night.

"Dumbledore, he needs to go to the hospital wing" said Sirius, picking up his godson.

Dumbledore looked as if he wanted to argue, most likely wanting to try and force Harry awake for answers. But Sirius didn't wait for the Hogwarts Headmaster to reply, as he forced his way through the crowd, aware that Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were following after him.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes to the blurry image of the hospital wing. His mind slowly piecing together that Yoruichi and her friend had obviously sent him back to Hogwarts. To his shame he could still remember the events at the graveyard clearly. Voldemort's Return. Cedric's Death. The destruction of his combat pass and his mother's protection along with it. And of course the sudden destruction of his zanpakutō. Even now, Harry couldn't feel Nakatsukasa's presence, leaving him feeling empty inside.

"So you're awake, Potter" came Moody's voice, followed by the ex-aura's entrance into the room. "Tell me what happened, Potter."

"The Cup was a portkey" said Harry, putting on glasses. He wasn't surprised that he neither Sirius or Remus were in the room, nor were his friends; Madam Pomfrey didn't usually allow long term visits and he had no idea how long he had been asleep. "It took me and Cedric to a graveyard…and Voldemort was there."

Guilt weighed on Harry's soul as he cursed his inability to save his fellow Hogwarts champion's life. Regardless of whether or not he noticed this, Moody continued to push Harry for answers.

"The Dark Lord was there? What happened then?"

Harry continued to recount the events of the graveyard, only editing out the parts concerning Soul Reapers and Hollows. Though the Death Eaters now knew about him, Harry wasn't sure about sharing that information with Moody, not knowing the man well enough to trust him.

As Harry completed his tale, he noticed that Moody was looking at him strangely with a sort of madness in his eyes as they focused on him unblinkingly.

"So the Dark Lord has returned" said Moody. "And what about his Death Eaters? How did he treat them? Did he forgive them?"

Harry's instincts were now screaming at him, telling him that something wasn't right. He tried to get up, but Moody just pushed him back down, drawing his wand and pointing it at Harry.

"He forgave them, then?" he said. "The Death Eaters who went free? The ones who escaped Azkaban?"

"What?" said Harry. He was looking at the wand Moody was pointing at was bad, he was still drained from the graveyard duel, even his spirit energy was drained.

"I asked you," said Moody quietly. "Whether he forgave the scum who never even went to look for him. Those treacherous cowards who wouldn't even brave Azkaban for him. The faithless, worthless bits of filth who were brave enough to cavort in masks at the Quidditch World Cup, but fled at the sight of the Dark Mark when I fired it into the sky."

"You fired?"

"If there's one thing I hate, Harry, more than anything, it's a Death Eater that walked free. They turned their backs on my master when he needed them most. I expected him to punish them, to torture them. Tell me he hurt them, Harry."

There was no hiding the insanity in Moody's eyes as a twisted grin spread across his face.

"Tell me hold them that I, I alone remained faithful…prepared to risk everything to deliver him the one thing he wanted above all…you."

"You put my name in the Goblet of Fire" Harry realized.

"Yes I did" Moody confessed. "I put your name in the Goblet, under the name of a different school. Planned on frightening off anyone that might try to hurt you or prevent you from winning the tournament. Convenient for me you could at least handle yourself well enough for that. I even nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons.

It hasn't all been easy though, Harry, guiding you through these tasks without arousing suspicion. Couldn't have Dumbledore catching on, if you managed everything too easily. Still I just needed you in that maze, preferably with a decent head start, then I simply had to get rid of the other champions and leave your way clear.

But I also had to contend with your stupidity. The second task that was when I was most afraid we'd fail. I was keeping watch on you, Potter. You weren't making progress with the egg so I told Cedric how to solve it. I knew he'd tell you, Potter. Decent people are so easy to manipulate; he was sure to want to repay you for telling him about the dragons.

And when I heard about that mud-blood friend of yours little group, I knew I could use that house-elf Dobby to pass along the gillyweed. All I had to do was call the elf to the staffroom to collect some robes for cleaning, stage a loud conversation with McGonagall about the hostages, and the rest went off like clockwork; your little elf friend ran straight to Snape's office and then hurried to find you. Lucky, Dumbledore took your idiocy in the lake for nobility and marked you high for it.

Made sure you had an easy time of it in the maze tonight. I was patrolling around it, able to see through the outer hedges, able to curse obstacles out of your way. I stunned Fleur Delacour as she passed. I put the Imperius Curse on Krum, so he'd finish Diggory and leave your path clear.

It all went perfectly but the Dark Lord wasn't able to kill you, Potter, and he so wanted to" Moody whispered. "Imagine how he'll reward me when he finds I have done it for him. I gave you to him, the thing he needed above all to regenerate, and then I killed you for him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter . . . closer than a son."

"Well that's enough of that" came Yoruichi's male voice.

Moody spun around wand pointed at the door but there was no one around, all he found was a black cat. To the madman's surprise the cat spoke.

"I'm afraid your precious Dark Lord will be disappointed" said Yoruichi.

Mad-Eye waved his wand to cast a curse but before he could, Yoruichi's eyes glowed and Moody found himself blasted across the room, crashing into the back wall, before dropping to the floor unconscious.

Remaining in cat form, Yoruichi jumped into Harry's lap a moment later the door to the hospital wing swung open as Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, Snape, and McGonagall ran inside.

At that moment, Harry understood why people said Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared. Gone was the usual twinkle in his eyes, replaced with a cold fury in every line of his ancient face; a sense of power radiating from him as though he were giving off burning heat.

"Harry, are you alright?" asked Sirius, as he and Remus rushed to his side.

"Yeah I'm ok" said Harry. He watched as Prof. McGonagall helped a dazed Madam Pomfrey into her office to rest. "But Moody's gone mad."

"This is not Alastor Moody" Dumbledore said quietly. "I'm afraid the real Moody may have been missing for some time now."

"Your friends were watching the map" said Remus. "They saw Barty Crouch was in the hospital wing with you."

"Polyjuice" Harry realized.

"Exactly" the werewolf confirmed.

"But I thought Crouch was strict on his stance against the Death Eaters?"

"Wrong Crouch, I'm afraid" said Dumbledore, pulling the hip flask from inside Moody's robes, along with a ring of keys. "Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky."

Once Snape left, Dumbledore signaled Sirius forward, who Harry now noticed was carrying a trunk with him. Trying each of the keys, Dumbledore unlocked each compartment revealing a number of spell books, cloaks, and other magical equipment.

Finally, the last compartment opened up revealing a kind of underground room, and lying on the floor some ten feet below, apparently fast asleep, thin and starved in appearance, was the real Mad-Eye Moody. His wooden leg was gone, the socket that should have held the magical eye looked empty beneath its lid, and chunks of his hair were missing.

Grabbing a blanket off a free bed, Dumbledore dropped into the trunk, draping it over the cold Moody's shoulders as he carried the unconscious man out of the trunk and over to an empty bed, planning on having Madam Pomfrey treat him, once they were done.

"The simplicity of it, is brilliant" said Dumbledore, eyes now fixed on the fake Moody. "Moody never does drink except from his hip flask, he's well known for it. Of course, the imposter needed to keep the real Moody close by, so he could continue making the potion."

Before their eyes the face of the man on the floor began to change. The scars started to disappear, as the skin became smoother; the mangled nose became whole and started to shrink. The long mane of grizzled gray hair withdrew into his scalp, changing to a straw blond color. With a loud clunk, the wooden leg fell away as a normal leg regrew in its place; next moment, the magical eyeball popped out of the man's face as a real eye replaced it.

Harry didn't recognize him but from the looks on Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, and McGonagall's faces they certainly did.

"Crouch!" Snape gasped, stopping dead in the doorway as he returned with Winky. "Barty Crouch!"

As filthy and disheveled, as when he last saw her, Harry watched as Winky peered around Snape's legs.

"Master Barty!" the elf shrieked, flinging herself onto the young man's chest. "Master Barty, what is you doing here?"

By now Harry had finally caught on and realized that the imposter was in fact Barty Crouch Jr. Question was, how was he alive, when he was reported to have died in Azkaban?

"You is killed him! You is killed him!" Winky sobbed. "You is killed Master's son!"

"He is simply unconscious, Winky," said Dumbledore. "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"

Snape handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of what Harry recognized as the Veritaserum, the truth potion that he had threatened him with in class earlier that year.

Dumbledore positioned Crouch Jr. into a sitting position, forced his mouth open and deposited three drops of the potion onto his tongue; ignoring Winky as she continued to sob, as she was moved to the floor where she fell to her knees, trembling, hands over her face.

"Rennervate" aiming his wand at Crouch Jr, Dumbledore magically revived him. Though his eyes were now open Crouch's gaze was clearly unfocused.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"Yes" Crouch muttered.

"How did you escape from Azkaban?"

Crouch took a deep, shuddering breath, then began to speak in a flat, expressionless voice.

"My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as a last favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother's hairs. She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other's appearance."

Winky's trembling worsened as the son confessed his father's sins.

"Say no more, Master Barty" she pleaded. "Say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!"

But Crouch just continued his tale.

"The Dementors are blind. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors.

My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me."

"And what did your father do with you, once you were home?" Dumbledore pressed.

"Staged my mother's death. A quiet, private funeral. That grave is empty. The house-elf nursed me back to health. Then I had to be concealed. I had to be controlled. My father had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master - of returning to his service."

"How did your father subdue you?"

"The Imperius Curse," said Crouch. "I was under my father's control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats. Rewards for my good behavior."

"Master Barty, Master Barty," Winky sobbed, through her hands. "You isn't ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble."

But to no avail as the potion continued to loosen Crouch Jr.'s tongue. He went on to explain that the Ministry witch, Bertha Jorkins had discovered him, resulting in Crouch Sr. permanently damaging her memory to keep his secret.

Crouch confessed that Winky had persuaded his father to allow him to witness the Quidditch World Cup. What the elf didn't know was that Crouch Jr. had been growing stronger and had managed to briefly fight off his father's control, this time long enough to steal Harry's wand during the match.

At this point Harry didn't have to look to know Yoruichi was giving him a scolding look. In his defense, at the time Harry still need to make a conscious effort to sense spiritual pressures; he didn't think to search for invisible people at the World Cup.

It was during Lucius Malfoy's Death Eater attack, that Crouch Jr. found he could fully break free and in the chaos he had cast the Dark Mark, just as the Aurors arrived firing stunning spells hitting both him and Winky.

The rest Harry knew; Crouch Sr. arrived and dismissed Winky for what he now knew was for her failure to keep Jr. under control.

"Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house" Crouch Jr continued. "And then…and then…" an insane grin spread across his face, and Harry suspected it wasn't just the potion keeping him talking at this point. "My master came for me.

He arrived late one night in the arms of his servant Wormtail. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the memory charm my father placed on her. She told him everything."

Voldemort had placed Crouch Sr. under the Imperius Curse having him go about his usual business while Jr. and Pettigrew subdued Moody allowing the former to take his place at Hogwarts. Voldemort even went so far as to temporarily remove Crouch Jr.'s Dark Mark as to prevent him from suffering the effects of Harry's mother's protection.

However, like his son before him, Crouch Sr. had periods where he would be aware of what was happening. Voldemort then deemed it unwise to allow Crouch Sr. to be seen in public explaining Percy Weasley's promotion.

Jr. then confessed that at some point Crouch Sr. had managed to escape and make his way to Hogwarts, where he was found by Harry and his friends. But before they could alert anyone, Crouch Jr. stunned and obliviated them. Afterwards he transfigured his body into a bone and buried it in the Forbidden Forest.

Bringing his tale to an end, Crouch Jr. confessed to being the one to turn the Triwizard Cup into a portkey, allowing for the return of his master to physical form.

* * *

After hearing Crouch's story, Dumbledore had McGonagall move the Death Eater to an empty classroom; sending Snape to collect Minister Fudge to question him further.

"Harry…." Dumbledore began, only for the boy in question to cut him off.

"Save it" Harry said coldly. "I can already guess you want the two of us to go to your office, alone."

"I suppose that would've been obvious. I know things have been difficult between us, Harry. But now more than ever we must work together."

Sirius and Remus watched the exchange between Harry and Dumbledore in confusion.

"What exactly is going on?" asked Remus, focusing on the headmaster. "Harry, hasn't told us what the problem is between you two is."

"I'm surprised he didn't tell you" said Dumbledore, honestly surprised. _Perhaps Harry is willing to forgive?_

"I haven't forgiven him" Harry spoke up, as if reading the old man's mind. "I just didn't want to see Sirius sent back to Azkaban."

"What're you talking about, Harry?" the dog animagus asked.

"Do you know about a prophecy?"

"James said something about one, once" said Sirius. "Said that was why they needed to go into hiding."

Afraid of where things were going, Dumbledore protested against continuing the topic but Harry didn't listen.

"Yeah and Snape told it to Voldemort" he said coldly. "He's the reason my parents were targeted."

What followed was far from unexpected; Sirius immediately moved to hunt down and murder Snape for revenge, only for Remus to stand in his way.

"Remus, there's no way I'm going to let that bastard get away with this" said Sirius, blood lust in his eyes.

"Believe there's nothing I'd like more" said the werewolf. "But right now we need to focus on Voldemort."

Sirius had to think about it for a bit but ultimately decided that Remus had a point.

"Sirius, Remus, understand that Severus has found redemption" said Dumbledore, aware this was only a short reprieve from their plans for revenge.

"Forget it, Dumbledore" said Remus. "I'm willing to work with you until Voldemort is gone. After that we'll be dealing with Snape."

Dumbledore sighed accepting there was little he could do to persuade them at the moment. As Remus said Voldemort had to be the priority.

"Harry, I cannot force you to work with me" Dumbledore sighed, turning his attention back to the boy. "All I ask is that you at least tell me, what happened at the graveyard."

"It won't matter" said Harry, his eyes duller than they've ever been. Seeing that they couldn't believe he'd sound so defeated, Harry went on to explain the events of the graveyard. Though he kept the part about Nakatsukasa's destruction to himself.

Sirius and Remus paled as Harry spoke about how Voldemort had gained the means to restore himself even after his body had been reduced to ashes. Dumbledore however just seemed pensive on the matter.

 _A black stone with the power of resurrection; could it be?_ Dumbledore wondered, remembering an old wizarding legend. "Thank you, Harry. I admit I do not know how we'll combat Voldemort's new abilities but I'm sure we'll find away."

Telling Sirius and Remus that he planned to gather the old guard, Dumbledore left to go meet with Minister Fudge. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione entered soon after, along with Mrs. Weasley and Bill.

While Harry appreciated the fact they had been worried about him, he didn't feel up to going over everything that had happened again. So he was relieved when Madam Pomfrey came out of her office, carrying a goblet of dreamless sleep.

For once Harry didn't complain, wanting to escape from the waking world and his grief.

* * *

Sneaking away, Yoruichi tracked down Urahara, meeting him in the Room of Requirements, where she found him sitting at a table examining the broken piece of Voldemort's stone.

"It's done" she said, shifting out of cat form as she took a seat at the table. "I put the seal on him after he fell asleep. That should keep him under control for a while."

"How is he?" asked Urahara, looking up from his work.

"Despondent" Yoruichi replied. "Kid took a big blow to his confidence. This was the first time he'd ever truly failed to protect someone."

They could both understand Harry's feelings, even after all their years of experience they still found the thought of losing people painful. So for just a thirteen-year-old, kid to have all that power and still not be able to save just one person, it was understandable for Harry to despair.

Question is would he be able to recover from it?


	23. The Beginning

I do not own Bleach or Harry Potter the both belong respectively to Tite Kubo and J.K. Rowling

* * *

Harry stared into his reflection, in the bathroom mirror, focusing on the intricate series of lines forming a seal on his chest. Yoruichi had explained that it was developed by Kisuke Urahara as a stop gap for him, in order to keep whatever's been happening to him under control.

Harry was left in a daze, feeling as if he were struggling to stay afloat. While his mind once again went over everything that's happened since the graveyard.

In the days following Voldemort's resurrection, He had learned from Sirius that Fudge hadn't believed it when Dumbledore told him about Voldemort's return. Given the previous failings of the Ministry of Magic, Harry wasn't that surprised.

To his displeasure the Triwizard Cup and the prize money was still being awarded to Harry, despite his protests. He had tried to give it to Cedric's parents, but they refused. Though they did thank him for managing to bring back their son's body. Harry couldn't help but feel even worse about that, given that he knew Yoruichi and Urahara had been the ones to send him back with the body. All he had done was get their son killed.

Speaking of the two Soul Reapers, Kisuke had completely vanished from the castle before Harry could get a chance to speak with him. And with Yoruichi taking over for him, Harry was left feeling completely useless. And the absence of Nakatsukasa made him feel alone.

Returning to the present, Harry finished getting dressed and headed for the Gryffindor common room, where he found Hermione, Ron, and Ginny waiting for him. The four didn't say a word as they silently made their way to the great hall, ignoring the whispers of the people they passed. Apparently Dumbledore had ordered everyone not to question him about what had happened during the third task. Of course this didn't stop the students from whispering about him as they tried to form their own theories about Cedric's death.

* * *

When they entered the hall, Harry and his friends saw the usual decorations for the leaving feast were missing. In their place were black drapes hanging behind the teachers' table. Harry knew instantly they were a mark of respect to Cedric Diggory.

Harry noticed the real Mad-Eye Moody was at the staff table now, his wooden leg and magic eye back in their proper places. The man extra twitchy, not that Harr could blame him; Moody's fear of attack was bound to have increased due to his captivity. Prof Karkaroff's chair was empty; Remus had explained that Crouch Jr. under the guise of Mad-Eye Moody, had dismissed him as Karkaroff's guard, leaving him free to kill the Death Eater deserter.

Unfortunately for Karkaroff, Crouch really did hate traitorous Death Eaters; the mad man took his time casting a series of torture spells leaving the Durmstrang Headmaster, a broken bleeding man. With the hospital wing being ill-equipped to deal with the degree of injuries Karkaroff was shipped off to St. Mungos. Sadly, he died shortly after arrival.

Fudge of course took this as the perfect opportunity to send Crouch Jr. to the Dementors, saying it was due to his crimes most recently being the murder of the visiting headmaster. Though they all suspected it was more likely because he didn't want anyone listening to the mad man's raving about the return of his master.

Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid, speaking quietly to him. Apparently whatever their problem was, they had made up. Further along the table, sitting next to Prof. McGonagall was Snape. His eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before looking away. Snape looked as sour and unpleasant as ever. Harry found himself wondering if the potions master had learned the full details of Voldemort's return. More specifically did he now know about Harry's…former Soul Reaper powers.

A stab of pain struck his heart as Harry's mind turned to the absence of Nakatsukasa. It was funny, he was a skilled flier. The youngest known animagus. And the youngest Seeker in a century. But none of those meant anything compared to the pride Harry felt as a Substitute Soul Reaper. It was the path he chose and a job that filled him with pride and purpose, even if hardly anyone would ever know what he did. To have that taken from him hurt. It was only surpassed by the pain he felt in his failure to protect Cedric's soul; Harry had no doubt that it was captured to fuel Voldemort's stone.

 _Cedric I'm sorry_. Harry was drawn from his thoughts as the room's attention fell upon Dumbledore, who now stood up at the staff table. As unusually quiet as the great hall had been before, it fell completely silent as the Hogwarts Headmaster began to speak.

"The end of another year" said Dumbledore, looking out at the gathered students. He paused, as his eyes fell upon the Hufflepuff table. Theirs were the saddest and palest faces in the hall, their hearts breaking over the loss of a fellow housemate. "There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine young man, who should be here with us enjoying this feast. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory."

And they did, all of them; everyone in the hall stood and raised their goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory."

Harry caught a glimpse of Cho Chang through the crowd. There were tears pouring silently down her face.

 _Cedric I'm sorry._ Harry kept his eyes down at the table as the students all sat back down, once again silently cursing his weakness.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

Harry raised his head and stared at Dumbledore.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort." A panicked whisper swept the great hall. People were stared at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. Through it all, he looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

"The Ministry of Magic, does not wish me to tell you this" Dumbledore continued. "It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so, either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

Harry scoffed at Dumbledore's mention of the truth, given that he had never been honest with him once since he first entered the magical world. Distracting himself from his annoyance at his headmaster's hypocrisy, Harry glanced around the room, noticing Draco Malfoy muttering something to Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry didn't even realize it but he was literally shaking in anger, until he felt a calming hand rest on top of his. A quick glance revealed it to be Ginny who didn't say anything, just gave him a look of understanding and turned her focus to the still speaking Dumbledore, a grateful Harry doing the same.

"There is someone else who must be mentioned in connection to Cedric's death. I am speaking of course, about Harry Potter."

Subconsciously Harry held Ginny's hand tightly. The Weasley girl winced at how tightly he squeezed her hand but said nothing, understanding it was probably the only thing keeping Harry from attacking Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort" Dumbledore continued, ignoring the fact that he knew Harry wouldn't appreciate the attention. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."

Harry kept his head down not wanting to show the scowl on his face, as Dumbledore and nearly everyone in the great hall raised their goblets to him. The only ones that didn't were Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and many of the other Slytherins, showing defiance against those that stand in Voldemort's path.

When everyone was once again seated, Dumbledore continued.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote international understanding. In light of what has happened, such ties are more important than ever before."

Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table. Krum, Harry noticed, looked almost frightened, as though he expected Dumbledore to say something harsh.

"Every guest in this hall will be welcomed back here at any time" said Dumbledore, eyes lingering on the Durmstrang students "I say to you all, once more in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

It is my belief, and never have I hoped to be mistaken – that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

* * *

Voldemort sat upon an ornate throne in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. His Death Eaters kneeled before him fearful of their master power as well as those displayed by their new enemies.

"You fear the Soul Reapers" Voldemort spoke at last. It wasn't a question for even the Dark Lord was forced to admit that they were a serious threat to his plans. His eyes glanced down to the slowly reforming black stone embedded in his hand; he noted it would be months before it was fully restored and by then he'd need more souls for it.

"M-My Lord" one Death Eater foolishly spoke out. "You said these beings were the envoys of death itself. Is it truly necessary to face them? Especially when they've allied themselves with Potter, which will surely mean by extension Dumbledore."

In response to the display of cowardice, Voldemort took his borrowed wand and cast the killing curse at the Death Eater, ironically the very same one he had taken the wand from.

"Does anyone else dare to question your Lord's power?" he demanded, as expected no one dared to say anything. "It is true the Reapers' powers are formidable. But your Lord has found that they are not the only Dark Legend to be proven true."

Voldemort paused, leaving the Death Eaters waiting anxiously for him to continue.

"Your Lord intends to go further than any wizard before him. I have already tasted the power of the Hollows. Now Lord Voldemort shall go further and claim godhood for himself and bring even the Reapers low. Your Lord shall conquer death itself. And let those who stand with Lord Voldemort be rewarded with more power than they ever thought possible."

The Death Eaters were awed by their master's declaration. To wage war upon the magical world and purging it of those of lesser blood was a worthy goal in their minds. But for their master to seek the means to conquer death…to gain godhood.

"My Lord, tell us what you'll need of us" said Lucius Malfoy. The man was shaken to his core that there were beings that could wield such power, that the other two that arrived to defend Potter were clearly even stronger was frightening. If Voldemort could grant him the power to stand against them, he would gladly do anything.

"My Death Eaters, you will go forth and bring me everything you can find about the Peverell Brothers and the Deathly Hallows."

Dark Times were ahead in deed.

* * *

The following morning Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited in the crowded entrance hall with the rest of the fourth years for the carriages to take them to Hogsmeade station.

"Harry!" he looked to see, Fleur Delacour hurrying into the castle. Through the doors, far across the grounds, Harry could just make out Hagrid helping Madame Maxime get two of the giant horses into their harnesses. The Beauxbatons carriage was about to take off.

"We will see each other again, I hope" said Fleur, reaching him, hand held out. "I am hoping to get a job here to improve my English."

Harry accepted the handshake. "I could understand you just fine" he said, sharing a privet joke between them.

Fleur smiled and turned to Ron, giving him a hug, much to Hermione's annoyance and his embarrassment.

"Just remember what we talked about" Fleur whispered into his ear.

"Right" said Ron, in a strangled sort of voice.

"Goodbye, Harry, Ron" said the French witch, releasing Ron. "It has been a pleasure meeting you. And remember Ron, I am betting on you two."

With that Fleur hurried back to Madame Maxime to begin the trip home.

"What did she mean about betting on you?" asked Hermione.

As Ron started to blush, Harry found himself curious about that as well.

"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back" said Ron, obviously trying to change the subject. "Think they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"

"Karkaroff did not steer" said a gruff voice. "He stayed in his cabin and let us do the work."

Krum had come to say goodbye to Hermione.

"Could I have a word?" he asked her.

"Oh…yes…all right," said Hermione, looking slightly flustered, followed Krum through the crowd and out of sight.

"You'd better hurry up!" Ron called loudly after her. "The carriages will be here in a minute!"

For the first time in days, Harry let himself smile a little as Ron let him watch for the carriages, while he spent the next few minutes craning his neck over the crowd to try and see what Krum and Hermione might be up to.

They returned soon enough. Ron stared at Hermione, but her face was blank.

"I liked Diggory," Krum said abruptly to Harry. "He was always polite to me. Always. Even though I was from Durmstrang — with Karkaroff," he added, scowling.

Clearly the Durmstrang students weren't going to spend long mourning Karkaroff's passing.

Harry asked if Durmstrang had a new headmaster yet, but Krum didn't know. Then like Fleur before him, Krum held his hand out, shook Harry's hand, and then to their surprise did the same to Ron's. Ron though looked like he was in a painful internal struggle. Krum had already started walking away when Ron burst out

"Can I have your autograph?"

Hermione turned away, smiling at the "horseless" carriages that had just arrived, as Krum, looking surprised but gratified, signed a fragment of parchment for Ron.

* * *

The weather on the trip back to King's Cross, was in a huge contrast with Harry's mood. While he was still struggling with his guilt over Cedric's death, the sky above was clear and the sun was shining. He, Ron, and Hermione, met up with Ginny on the train, who had managed to save them a compartment for themselves.

"So did you and Dumbledore, make peace?" Ron asked. It had bothered him that Dumbledore would call Harry out like that despite the fact that there was a clear rift between them now.

"I told him about how Voldemort had managed to summon Hollows" said Harry. "I'm guessing that was his way of trying to guilt me into working with him."

"Did you tell Sirius and Remus about Nakatsukasa?" asked Hermione. They had been the only ones that Harry trusted to tell about his broken powers.

"No, they've agreed to work with Dumbledore for now, and I don't want him knowing about my powers."

"Aren't they going to know when you aren't patrolling around London?" Ginny questioned.

"I'm not going back to London" said Harry, confusing his friends.

"Harry, what are you planning?" Hermione demanded.

When Harry turned to look at each of his friends, they noticed the old fire was back in his eyes. As much as Harry hated to admit it, Dumbledore's speech had helped him. Specifically, about choosing what was right over what was easy.

He had been thinking about it all night. Kisuke Urahara had to have known about what was causing him to Hollowfy – however slowly – if he was able to design a temporary fix for it. That Yoruichi short of rescuing him from Crouch hadn't spoken to him about the graveyard or what they discovered about Voldemort's stone. The former Stealth Force commander had even left Hogwarts without even a goodbye.

Maybe they had abandoned him after the loss of his zanpakutō or maybe it was just like when he had first been introduced to the Gotei 13? He believed they were giving him a choice: he could accept things as they are and maybe should it fail they'll strengthen the seal on him. Or he could stand up and fight and risk death to find a way to defeat Voldemort, avenge Cedric, and protect others from sharing the same fate.

"I'm going to Karakura Town" Harry said firmly. "When I first became a Substitute Soul Reaper, Captain Ukitake told me that's where the Urahara Shop is. That's where Yoruichi and Kisuke are."

"And the Substitute Soul Reaper before you" said Ginny, remembering what Harry had once told her. "Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Yeah" Harry wasn't one for hero-worship but he had to admit that he was excited at the chance of meeting such a legendary man.

"Harry, you don't even have a passport. How do you plan to get to Japan?" asked Hermione. "I doubt the Ministry will let you take a portkey now."

Dumbledore using his name meant Fudge and the Ministry of Magic might decide to watch Harry more closely. Thankfully he had a simple solution to that problem.

"I'll fly."

"Mate, I know you're good but I don't think even you can fly your broom all the way to Japan" said Ron.

"You'd be seen for sure. And the Ministry would come down on you for breaking the Statute of Secrecy." Hermione added. "Even if by chance you weren't seen; you don't even know where Karakura Town is."

Harry just smirked and opened Hedwig's cage, the owl had been waiting at the ready for the mission ahead.

"I don't need to know where Karakura Town is" he said. "Hedwig will guide me. As for not being seen." He then quickly changed into his raven animagus form and back.

"You've got it all figured out don't you" Hermione sighed.

"Yeah, I just need you guys to keep Sirius and Remus from freaking out" said Harry. "Oh and give Fred and George the prize money. They can use it to start up their shop. I've got a feeling we'll be needing more laughs in the future.

Seeing there was no chance of convincing him otherwise; Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, each stood up and hugged him goodbye.

"You just be careful" said Ginny. _Looks like our talk is going to have to wait a bit longer._

Harry smiled and promised he'd be back. Opening the compartment window, Harry transformed and followed Hedwig outside.

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione watched as Harry and Hedwig flew off into the distance. Though worried they also had faith that Harry would find what he was looking for and they were determined that when he returned they'd be ready to stand with him.

* * *

Harry wasn't sure how far or how long they flew. More than once Harry had to rely on Hedwig to capture food for them. Lucky for him she mainly brought him things he could cook over a fire. It really gave Harry a new appreciation for what Sirius had to go through while he was in hiding.

Still it was all worth it when they finally arrived in Karakura Town. Once they reached the city, Hedwig took off down an inconspicuous alleyway leading to an empty dirt lot, empty say for a couple of orange haired kids – a boy with spikey hair, and a girl with a shoulder length ponytail – and the store behind them with a sign hanging on top labeled Urahara Shop.

"Hey you can change back you know" said the girl.

"Trust us wizards aren't the special around here" said the boy.

Harry was surprised that they'd identified him as a wizard so quickly then it to him that they both had higher than normal levels of spirit energy.

Deciding it wasn't worth leaving to find a place to change, Harry returned to human form allowing Hedwig to rest on his shoulder. Just like the girl said, they didn't seem impressed at all.

"You must be Harry Potter" said the girl. "My name is Masaki Kurosaki" she smiled, before pointing to the boy standing next to her. "This is my twin brother Sora."

"Hey I can introduce myself" said Sora, though there wasn't any heat behind his words.

Yeah but I wanted to" said Masaki. "Anyway we're five and Mr. Hat and Clogs is inside waiting for you."

Right on cue the door to the store slid open revealing a tall muscular man with cornrowed hair, handle bar mustache, and rectangular glasses. The fact that the man was dressed casually in a muscle shirt and jeans, with an apron worn over them told Harry that not only was this man most likely an employee but it also told him that Urahara wasn't a very strict boss given his relaxed dress code.

"The boss is waiting for you inside" he repeated, waving Harry inside.

"Don't mind him" said Masaki.

"Yeah Tessai is a big softy" said Sora.

Harry smiled down at the two, being somewhat reminded of Fred and George even if they weren't identical.

 _Guess he wasn't kidding about being a candy shop owner_ Harry thought to himself, as he took in the rows of candy and other sweets upon entering the store.

Tessai lead Harry to a small sitting room, where they found Yoruichi sitting at a table enjoying a bowl of rice.

"I've got to tell you, Hogwarts food is good and all but it sure is fattening" she smirked, not at all surprised to see Harry there. "So you've regained your fighting spirit."

"That's good to hear" said a voice Harry didn't recognize. Shortly followed by a man walking into the room, holding Sora and Masaki's hands in each of his own.

The man was tall with a lean but obviously muscular build. He had the same brown eyes as the two children and the same bright spikey orange hair as Sora. Finally, the children's last name registered in Harry's mind as his eyes widened in realization that he now stood before Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Hey, you must be Harry" Ichigo said casually.

"Y-yeah" Harry stuttered slightly, embarrassed that he sounded a lot like Ron when Krum first arrived at Hogwarts.

If he noticed how embarrassed Harry was, Ichigo didn't comment on it. Yoruichi on the other hand wasn't so kind.

"Well looks like you've got a fan, Ichigo" she smirked, laughing at the blushing Harry.

"Cut it out, Yoruichi" said Ichigo. "Give the kid a break."

"Well looks like parenthood has certainly made you grow up" said Urahara, joining them.

Kisuke immediately zeroed in on Harry, more specifically the look in the boy's eyes. Oh there was still pain and guilt but he was pleased to see that he hadn't truly fallen into despair just yet.

"I'm here to restore my powers" said Harry.

"I admit I don't really know anything about how this Dark Lord of yours' stone works" Kisuke admitted. "As long as he has it, it might actually be impossible to kill him."

"Then I'll just have to rip it from him."

This was a good change from the guilt ridden boy they had last seen. There was fire in Harry's eyes now.

"My combat pass and zanpakutō" Harry continued. "I'll need them for this fight."

"And you're so sure I can help you?" Urahara asked

"Enough messing with him" said Ichigo, rolling his eyes. "Stop acting like you weren't prepared to help already."

While not bothered by Ichigo's usual brash behavior, Kisuke had to admit he was right. It was time to get to work. Telling Harry to follow, Kisuke lead them back out to the foyer. For a moment Harry wondered if Urahara was going to try and sell him candy, when to his surprise he removed one of the floor panels revealing a secret passage way.

* * *

"No way this place is amazing!" Urahara exclaimed. "Who would've guessed that all this time there was a huge subterranean training ground under my store?!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at Urahara's bad acting, while his children laughed at the display. Harry like Ichigo before him was not amused.

"Come on, you obviously knew about this place" he deadpanned. Still he had to admit it was impressive. "Besides, Yoruichi had the Room of Requirements look like this while she was training me."

It was true, the very same battle field they had used back at Hogwarts right down to the smallest detail. Obviously this place was of some significance to them if this was the place Yoruichi had chosen to recreate.

"So let's get to work" said Harry. "How do we restore Nakatsukasa?"

"There's something we have to talk about before that" said Urahara. "Tell me, Harry, have you ever heard the term, Horcrux?"

* * *

AN: And that's the end. Anyway if you're interested to see where this is going, be on the look out for the next book.


	24. Sequel Up

The sequel is up. Titled: Reap What You Sow

Thanks for reading and hope you'll decide to check out the new story.


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